New Philadelphia Airport Renovation

Welcome to the new year and along with it the first of a new spending spree. The Chairman of the Public Works Committee of the New Philadelphia City Council has called a committee meeting for Monday, January 25, at 6:30 p.m. This meeting, according to the announcement made to the media, will discuss two items, the proposed Master Plan for the New Philadelphia Municipal Airport, and the purchase of some acreage south-east of the existing runway, some ten acres currently owned by the Estate of Mary Egli. Neither of these items are new before City Council. They seem to come back with disturbing frequency.

New Philadelphia Municipal Airport, Harry Clever Field, is a general aviation airport designed to handle small private aircraft. Most of its traffic is the type of aircraft which are family owned and used for recreation such as Cessnas and Pipers. It also is a base for MedFlight helicopters, the folks who airlift critical patients to Akron and Cleveland hospitals. There are a couple of companies who use the airport for their corporate aircraft which include some jets and turboprops. It is well equipped for performing periodic maintenance checks and repairs on aircraft, sells fuel, and rents hanger space. Some people are concerned that larger corporate type aircraft, the larger jets which fly nationally and internationally, have difficulty using the airport due to the runway length, which is 3,950 feet. Users of corporate jets, such as Lauren Manufacturing, are interested in the city extending the runway to an excess of 5,000 feet to accommodate their jet aircraft, and possibly, a new, larger jet for international travel. In a perfect world, this would be a great idea. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world.

The Master Plan for the Airport, first conceived by Zande Associates of Columbus, Ohio, and recently redone by R. J. Baker, Jr. of Cleveland, Ohio, lists seven alternative plans for improvement of the airport. They all contain similarities which will directly impact citizens of New Philadelphia.

Alternative One: Increase the existing approach areas to provide access by larger aircraft to the airport by taking homes and property by eminent domain including part of the East Avenue Cemetery and relocation of some roads.

Alternative Two: Extend the northeast end of the runway by taking eight houses by eminent domain and the purchase of approximately two acres of property, and acquire property from Schoenbrunn Village.

Alternative Three: The runway to be extended to the northwest but is not recommended as part of the cemetery and many houses are to be taken.

Alternative Four: Extend the runway to 4,500 feet and relocate the southwest end to a more westerly direction which would include taking houses and property by eminent domain as well as acquiring land from Schoenbrunn Village and changing the road into the Village.

Alternative Five: Extend the runway to 4,500 feet, reorient the runway through the center of East Avenue Cemetery, relocate the railroad tracks. This was not recommended as it would require taking several homes by eminent domain and the cost is considered excessive.

Alternative Six: Extend the runway 5,000 feet to the southeast, requiring more seizures by eminent domain, seizure of part of the East Avenue Cemetery, closure of Delaware Avenue and excessive costs due to needed land fill. This was not recommended because of the high cost.

Alternative Seven: Reduce the classification of the airport to bring it into compliance as a small general airport. This was not considered as practicable as it would preclude the use of the Lauren Learjet.

Alternative Eight: Develop a new airport. No recommendation made by the planners.

All the recommendations, including those not recommended by Baker, include a common thread. Take private property by eminent domain, close existing roads, destroy the East Avenue Cemetery, and spend untold dollars over the next 20 years.

Capital improvements at the current airport, which contains two phases, one for zero to ten years, the second 11 to 20 years, was originally calculated to be $8,485,000 in 2006. That figure because of inflation, jumped to $9,330,000 in 2009, an increase of better than six percent in two years. With the present economic crisis and the uncertainty of its future, it is impossible to predict what the cost of the project will be when, and if, completed.

A presentation was made to City Council by Mr. Ted Gentsch in the fall of 2009, in which he explained the Airport Master Plan. He mentioned often the problems that Lauren experienced with the current airport facility and how its limitations precluded the purchase of a larger company jet aircraft. He also stated that his preference would be a new airport located in Tuscarawas County which would accommodate larger aircraft.

On Monday the Airport Master Plan is going to be discussed in Mr. Lautensleger's Public Works Committee. The Committee will decide whether or not to recommend acceptance by City Council of the Master Plan. Administration officials, and some councilmen, have made the comment that passage of this Plan really doesn't lock the City into its implementation, that passage will merely agree on the principle of further exploration of the Plan's recommendations. Nothing could be further from the truth. Should this Plan be passed by City Council, it becomes the law of the city, one which must be implemented regardless of the impact on the city. Make no mistake about it, once passed a City Ordinance is the law.

Acceptance of the Airport Master Plan as it currently stands will take homes and property by force of law if necessary. The East Avenue Cemetery will be desecrated. Delaware Avenue will be closed. Runway extensions will involve agreements with Schoenbrunn Village, which is State of Ohio property, land which the City will never own. It is not generally known, but 500 feet of the existing runway are on state property, not owned by the City of New Philadelphia. The City will be committed to pay 20 percent of the cost of construction regardless of the alternative chosen. And once committed, the city will be required to pay the bill. And the rest of it? It isn't free money as is so often portrayed. It comes from taxes everybody pays. And it comes from a government which will expect something for its investment, and that something is, today, unknown.

The second item to be discussed by the Public Works Committee is the purchase of ten acres of property southeast of the airport runway. This property, owned by Mary Egli, has long been coveted by the mayors of New Philadelphia. In 2001 the acreage was appraised at $89,910. City Council turned the purchase down then, and on two occasions since, refused to bring it to the full Council. The Mayor requested Mr. Lautensleger's committee to consider purchasing it this year, but at a price of $190,000, an increase of 211 percent. All sorts of reasons are given for the city to purchase the property, the one most frequently passed around is to extend the runway at the airport. You have to be aware that should that property be purchased without it being included in the Airport Master Plan expenditures, the city will have to pay the full amount. The FAA won't put a penny into it otherwise, and once purchased it's the city's. The Mayor says if it doesn't work for the airport, the City can always turn it into a cemetery. So if we buy it now, and the deal with Schoenbrunn Village falls through, then we have ten acres of over-priced farmland.

This whole thing is fraught with disaster. Bets are being made in an economy which is in deep trouble. It comes back to the old question of how are we going to pay for all this? How long will it take for a new airport, or for 10 acres of property New Philadelphia really doesn't really need, to pay back the cost the City is being asked to put up to finance these unneeded purchases? How will these purchases effect the City's cash flow?

If you have questions about this, contact the Mayor, City Auditor, Council members, City Council Representatives to the Airport Commission are Ms. Colleen Espenschied, Mr. Jim Locker, and Mr. John Zucal , all of whose phone numbers are listed on this blog site under City Officials Phone Numbers. and in this case the Airport Commission President, Mr. Tom Farbizo, Office 330-364-0662 or Home 330-343-1260.

Remember, what the government gives away, it must first take away.