Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Airport Projects Operations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Leesburg commission hears project and operations updates; agrees to support nearby data center application
Summary
Staff updated commissioners on grants, runway-rehab planning and control tower procurement, reported safety and noise incidents and arrival of Beta Technologies electric airplane; commissioners agreed to draft a letter in support of a nearby JK Land Holdings data center proposal and to provide a speaker at the April 15 hearing.
Airport staff briefed the Airport Commission on April 9 about pending grants, runway rehabilitation planning, control tower procurement and recent operational incidents, and commissioners agreed to sign and possibly speak to a letter supporting a nearby data center application.
Staff reported two FAA grants remain pending and said those awards are a key trigger for moving other projects forward; the airport plans to bid runway rehabilitation and to apply for related federal funding before the end of the federal fiscal year. Staff also said a proposal for a control tower remains in procurement stages: a proposal team has been selected and an independent fee evaluation is pending prior to final authorization to proceed.
The commission heard that aircraft operations are down year-to-date (staff cited about a 21% decline in operations) while fuel sales were up (staff cited about 11% higher fuel sales year-to-date), a discrepancy staff attributed to weather and a small number of larger jet operations. Staff reported recent safety incidents, including a small aircraft that landed with the landing gear up and an incident involving an aircraft that reportedly ran into a fence; staff proposed a proactive safety reporting and training approach to reduce repeat incidents.
Noise was also discussed: staff reported 21 noise complaints concentrated in two households and said one complaint was forwarded to the FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) for follow-up. The commission also noted the recent arrival of Beta Technologies’ electric aircraft for public inspection during recent days.
On planning and local land use, a representative from a developer (JK Land Holdings) contacted staff seeking the commission’s support for a proposed data center on Cyclone Road. Commissioners said a data center would likely be preferable to residential development near approach paths and agreed to provide a letter of support; one commissioner volunteered to attend and speak at the county board meeting scheduled for April 15. Staff said the developer had obtained an FAA letter indicating building heights in the proposal are within FAA tolerances.
Ending: Staff will continue grant procurement work, advance procurement for tower services once grants are confirmed, and prepare a draft letter for the commission to sign in support of the JK Land Holdings data center application; a commissioner volunteered to speak at the April 15 public hearing.
