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Residents tell Clarkdale council Embry Riddle flights, leaded fuel and neighborhood drainage need action
Summary
Three residents urged the council to press Embry Riddle on repeated low-altitude training over Clarkdale, potential lead emissions from avgas, and to address neglected drainage and overgrown alleyways in the historic district.
At the public-comment portion of the Feb. 10 council meeting, Clarkdale residents urged quicker town action on two recurring local concerns: repeated low-altitude aircraft training near homes and neglected drainage and alley maintenance in the historic district.
Mary Lou Rose said remarks by an Embry Riddle official at a Chino Valley meeting mischaracterized the experience of Clarkdale residents. “These statements misrepresent the reality Clarkdale residents live with,” Rose told the council, arguing that the university’s focus on narrow definitions of violations ignores repeated failures to follow agreed flight paths and the repeated low-altitude touch-and-go training she said occurs over neighborhoods, schools and playgrounds. She told the council she was concerned about noise and lead from leaded aviation fuel and asked the town to treat the issue as a public-health and environmental exposure concern rather than a mere annoyance.
Carla Erickson said she had copied town officials and Embry Riddle leadership on a letter documenting concerns that the university had not complied with a flight-information filing (file number 25003, issued 03/31/2025) and warned the council that an upcoming March deadline could be consequential if obligations are not enforced.
Kimberly Hillen presented photos and asked town staff to address several drainage areas and overgrown alleyways in the historic district that she described as fire hazards and eyesores. Town staff responded that many of the narrow strips between sidewalks and the road are the homeowner’s responsibility under existing town code, offered to review specific locations with GIS, and invited residents to leave contact information for follow-up.
Council did not take formal action during the public-comment period but staff offered to follow up on the drainage locations and the town indicated it will continue tracking resident concerns about airport operations raised in the public record.
