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Neighbors and DNR raise environmental, property concerns about proposed Sawyer County airport expansion
Summary
Neighbors and an environmental letter cited by a public commenter warned that a proposed airport expansion could require road relocations, threaten homes and impact the Namakagon River and nearby wetlands; the county's airport manager said the master plan remains under review and noted hangar development interest.
Nancy (last name not specified), a nearby resident, told the Sawyer County Public Works Committee that a concept for a large airport expansion approved in October would require moving roads and could put several families' homes at risk. "The worst is the huge negative environmental impact that this expansion will have on one of Sawyer County's most valuable assets, and that's the Namakagon River, a national scenic waterway," she said, urging the board to weigh the county and town comprehensive plans and neighbors' interests.
Nancy said the development described in the conceptual plan would add dozens of large hangars and other facilities and that she had not received notice of a 2019 rezoning affecting nearby properties. She referenced a letter from the DNR to the airport project manager that, she read, recommended a full alternatives analysis including a no-build and a relocation option. "We have consistently stated in the past along with the National Park Service and the US Army Corps of Engineers, that if additional development is necessary, such as a proposed runway relocation, we recommend looking at alternative locations for the airport," the DNR letter reads, according to Nancy.
Rick Leslie, the airport representative, said the master plan is still under consideration and reported ongoing work on contract matters and hangar development interest. "We might put an ADS-B receiver at the airport," Leslie said, describing a potential tool to monitor traffic and identify peak use times. He also said a hangar-development site has been proposed with 11 lots and that one earlier hangar builder withdrew but several others are interested.
The committee did not take formal action on the airport master plan during the meeting. The public comments flagged potential environmental permitting issues and neighborhood impacts that would be relevant to any future formal review or decisions. The DNR material and the resident's concerns suggest requests for a more complete alternatives analysis if the expansion moves forward; the committee did not vote on project approvals at this meeting.
Next steps: the master plan remains under review and, according to public comment, may require additional environmental analysis and further public notice before any formal approvals.
