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Inverness Airport outreach begins after survey finds about 230 parcels with tree obstructions
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Summary
Consultants told the Citrus County Aviation Advisory Board that about 230 parcels near Inverness Airport have trees penetrating or close to protected airspace; the county will mail postcards and hold informational public meetings ahead of an environmental assessment and possible displaced runway thresholds.
Consultant Alex Vaca told the Citrus County Aviation Advisory Board that about 230 private parcels around Inverness Airport have at least one tree that penetrates or comes close to the airport's protected airspace, a condition the FAA identified as an obstruction concern.
"There are approximately 230 parcels that have a tree, at least one, either penetrating or very close to penetrating the airspace," Vaca said, and the FAA has asked the county to gauge community feedback before the next step of an environmental assessment.
The county plans to mail postcards to affected property owners inviting them to informational meetings at the Lakes Region Library; the consultant emphasized these sessions are informational only and asked attendees to complete brief surveys to help the county understand local sentiment about trimming or removing trees.
Todd Regan, the county's aviation project manager, described outreach and technical next steps. He said the master plan and airport layout plan are being updated and that, depending on the outcome of the obstruction review and FAA guidance, displaced thresholds on one or both runway ends are a real possibility. "The FAA very well may say that the markings need to change," Regan said, and he confirmed that PAPI lights would move with any displaced threshold.
The board was told the obstruction work will include phases: community assessment, negotiation of navigation easements or property rights where needed, and targeted removals or mitigations. Vaca said the county will coordinate funding requests and an environmental assessment, and noted that the FAA often favors applicants with design-ready projects when grant opportunities are announced.
The consultant and staff also said the county intends to schedule master-plan committee and public-impact meetings in April to share alternatives for airport development, including hangar and access-road configurations, and to collect community input before design decisions are finalized.
The exchange underscored tension between aviation safety and neighborhood trees: some residents are expected to resist tree removal, while airport officials say unresolved obstructions could lead to operational changes that affect aircraft types and approach procedures. The county will provide timing and contact information to board members by email and via the planned postcards.
