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Pinellas County commissioners made the right decision for the future of St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport and the flying public Tuesday when they voted to move ahead with design of a runway extension that will enable bigger and heavier planes to use the airport. While the extension does not guarantee new business for the facility, a consultant hired by the county to do a financial analysis noted that "without this runway, you're not at the table."
The vote was a tough one for county commissioners, who have been castigated by residents who live beneath the airport flight paths and are fed up with noisy aircraft. But the hard work is just beginning for county officials. The vote to take this first step toward expansion of the airport brings with it a whole new set of obligations for Pinellas County officials.
First on the list: noise abatement. Airports are noisy and will generate complaints. Yet some airports, even in metro areas like Pinellas, have quieted complaints through a combination of three approaches: developing innovative noise-control techniques, winning the cooperation of pilots and partnering with the Federal Aviation Administration, which offers federal grants to implement noise-control programs. Pinellas County officials should research the techniques that have worked at other airports while continuing their effort to persuade commercial and military users of the airport to be sensitive to noise concerns.
Another obligation of county officials is to accelerate planned improvements to the road network around the airport. Roosevelt Boulevard and Ulmerton Road already are clogged with traffic, especially during rush hour. What will happen if the airport attracts more passenger flights? If the county's goal is to grow the airport, it must grow the road network at the same time.
And finally, now that the county has elected to make a major new investment in the airport, it is obligated to invest equal energy and resources in pursuing new business. Airports all over the country are vying for flights and the competition is especially tough in the international charter market that Pinellas has targeted. Pinellas has something those other airports don't: 35 miles of beautiful beaches, including several of the nation's best. That is a natural resource worth trumpeting, which perhaps could lead to a new niche market for the airport. However, it will take a unified effort by the county's most creative strategic thinkers in aviation, tourism and marketing to develop a winning plan.
Whether the county eventually should invest more than $200-million to implement a proposed 20-year airport master plan is still an open question. The answer may depend on how well the county handles the challenge, and the opportunity, of a longer runway.