Residents and council press city staff to check permits after Jet Center hangar work begins

Public commenters and multiple council members raised concerns at the April 2 meeting about active construction of a roughly 31,000‑square‑foot hangar at the Naples Jet Center. Council members said the hangar appears not to be shown on the most recent airport utilization plan exhibits they reviewed and asked staff to verify whether the work has appropriate planning and permitting approvals.

Why this matters: Councilmembers and residents said any new hangar that adds capacity for larger, long‑range aircraft can affect noise, traffic and neighborhood quality of life, and should follow the same permitting, utilization‑plan and approval processes required of other developments. Council member Beth Petronoff pressed for a timely factual assessment, noting council’s 2021 direction about limiting new hangars as part of a multi‑year airport planning discussion.

City response and next steps: City Attorney Matthew McConnell and City Manager Gary Young told council they are gathering the planning and permitting documents and said staff will bring a public update and staff presentation to a workshop (the mayor and manager discussed placing this on the April 14 workshop agenda). McConnell said staff must confirm exact parcel boundaries and whether planning approvals or permits have been issued; he cautioned against ordering a blanket stop‑work without those facts and recommended presenting findings to council first so the council can determine appropriate next steps. Council asked staff to treat the inquiry with urgency and return the facts, including whether the airport development was included in previously approved site or utilization plans.

Ending: Councilmembers said they expect a public‑facing staff briefing at the scheduled workshop so residents and council members can see approvals and timelines and discuss remedies if city approvals were not secured.