Gwinnett County To Study Potentially Privatizing Airport’s Briscoe Field
January 19, 2010 by Jamie Ward
Filed under County Government, Gwinnett County
Opponents of privatization fear pilots who fly small planes like these could be forced out of using the airport to make room for larger commercial aircraft.
LAWRENCEVILLE — Gwinnett’s Board of Commissioners unanimously supported a resolution Tuesday which will allow Gwinnett’s Department of Transportation to go forward with preparing a preliminary FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) application as part of the FAA’s Airport Privatization Pilot Program.
Chairman Charles Bannister read a statement in response to the Board’s action because he said there were misunderstandings, mainly because of the media, as to what this resolution meant for Gwinnett County.
“We do not know whether privatization or commercialization of Briscoe Airport is in the best interest of Gwinnett County,” Bannister said. “However, we have enough information to think studying the concept is the right thing to do for the county. The studied process will involve extensive environmental and financial analysis and would include extensive public involvement in advance of any decision being made by this Board.”
Bannister made a point to emphasize the phrase “extensive public involvement.” He also said Gwinnett County was not applying for any grant money for the pre-application process.
The resolution didn’t come without public opposition, though. Speaking against the measure was Lawrenceville resident Duane Huff, a member of the local Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 690, which operates out of the airport.
“I think it will very much hinder the general aviation population of the Gwinnett County Airport,” Huff said to the Board. “My second thought is, and I know you’ve already approved this study, but to spend this kind of money to study this proposal in this economy I just think is out of the question.”
Department of Transportation Director Brian Allen said the county was approached with the privatization idea by New York-based Propeller Investments. He said $250,000 was included in the 2010 budget for “studying economic development at the airport” after it had been stricken from the budget the previous year. He said from an operating standpoint, the airport supports itself and covers its own expenses. He also said this process of studying whether or not to privatize would not be easy and would be lengthy.
Gwinnett County’s Airport is located just off Ga. Highway 316 in District 4. Its commissioner, Kevin Kenerly, said the issue on whether or not to privatize the airport could become a hot, election-year topic. Kenerly has already announced that after 16 years he will not seek another term. His advice for candidates in District 4 was research the issue and do what’s best for Gwinnett County.
“Folks will make this a campaign issue,” Kenerly said. “I hope the folks who are running understand how big an issue this could be.”
Kenerly said he supported the study because it could lead to more economic development and more jobs, and said if that was the case and privatization eventually occurred, then the money spent on the study would pay itself back.
Debi Huffman, an aerospace educator with the Fernbank Science Center and another member of the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 690, said privatization could ultimately force the group out of the airport all together. Along with Huff and Suwanee resident John Reitz, they estimated 98 percent of their 200 members were against the privatization idea.
“Aviation has tightened up since I was a kid going to Charlie Brown Airport in Atlanta and this would tighten things up even more,” Huff said. She mentioned Europe privatizing most of its airports and said she’s seen firsthand how many Europeans come to the United States to get their rating because they can’t afford to do it in their native country.
“I don’t think it will fly,” Huff said. “Why spend the money on a proposal when it’s already bound to fail? There is not enough land around the airport to make this a feasible operation. It’s not a good place to have a reliever airport for Hartsfield. There are other places. It just doesn’t make good sense here in Lawrenceville.”
Huff also wondered who owned land around the airport that might benefit from such a privatization deal and if they might be politically connected to any commissioners.
“It’s going to squeeze out the general aviation people,” Huff said. “It will be more difficult to have flight schools and give tours to the kids. Leave it a general aviation airport.”
People can watch planes take off and land on the airport's 6000 foot runway while also looking at this memorial to Thomas Briscoe, whom the field is named after.
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Brisco was built with tax dollars and federal tax dollars. Now the developers want to privatize it and the value of those assets for pennys on the dollar. The major roads surrounding the area including 316, 20 and 29 are a mess. They can’t handle the current level of traffic, much more added traffic to expanded commercial air flights and all the support personnel needed to run a commercial field. Re-construction of and development of the local roads will fall on the tax payer. The same is true for most other services and utilities.
If the privatized company should go bankrupt the taxpayers will be left with the debt. And the impact on this area promises another Hartsfield – it only a matter of time.
To oppose this people do not have to match the ratiional of the developers. The developers want to expand their business interests at taxpayer expense. As a citizen of the county you don’t need to explain. Just say I don’t want to privatize Brisco or allow ANY commercial flights. You don’t need a better reason.