| After years of Monroe County's allowing increased
residential development in noise and crash-potential areas near the Key
West Naval Air Station, especially under the pro-development County
Commission of the past several years, it appears sensibility may be
setting in. County Mayor George Neugent says he now believes that
development near the NAS needs to be limited. Details in the story
below from the March 21 Key West Citizen: |
Mayor: County should limit Navy-area growth
Florida Keys News
By TIMOTHY O'HARA Citizen Staff
Monroe County's mayor has had a change of heart, saying he now
is committed to the idea that development around the Navy base
should be limited.
Developers should not receive density bonuses for Stock Island
projects that would add new condominiums and apartments along
Safe Harbor, an area prone to loud jet noise, Mayor George
Neugent also said.
"This has to stop," Neugent said Friday. "We can't be changing
zoning to increase density."
That was about the only result from a meeting Friday between
Neugent and Naval Air Station Key West commander Capt. Steven
Holmes, prompted by the County Commission on Wednesday demanding
the Navy stop flying the F/A-18 Super Hornet, one of its loudest
jets, over the lower Florida Keys.
But it does signal a change. In the past, Neugent and his fellow
county commissioners have approved new developments despite Navy
objections about housing encroaching on the Boca Chica Key base
and the resulting increase in noise complaints.
The county approved an affordable housing project on Big Coppitt
Key and a small subdivision on the south end of Key Haven called
Enchanted Island, saying it feared not doing so would spark
property owners to file lawsuits. The Navy objected to both
projects.
The county also recently proposed giving developers more hotel
and residential units along Safe Harbor if they set aside
certain areas of property for commercial fishing, dock space and
other uses related to supporting working waterfronts.
The state Department of Community Affairs, which oversees
development in the Keys, has sided with the Navy and asked the
county to work more closely with the military on development
issues around the base.
The County Commission, however, asked the Navy to "cease and
desist" training until a Department of Defense inquiry into the
matter is completed. Several residents filed a complaint, saying
the Navy did not complete the required environmental impact
assessments before allowing the much-louder jets to fly in the
Keys. They also said the maps that reflect noise and potential
crash zones are flawed.
The county has no authority to make such a demand, and the Navy
has said it will not stop training. And the skirmish does little
to resolve the noise issue.
To that end, Neugent and Holmes met Friday -- calling it a "good
exchange of ideas" -- and county and Navy officials plan to hold
a public meeting within the next two weeks.
"Obviously we are not going to halt training missions. It's
important training. A lot of units (visiting squadrons) are on a
tight schedule and delays would have an impact on their combat
readiness," Holmes said.
"People on both sides care a lot about this issue. ... We want
to work with the county, and we want to be a good neighbor."
Neugent agreed.
"I think both sides want this resolved," he said. "I think the
Navy does care about the community, but they have a mission to
do. They want to be good neighbors and stewards. They don't know
what else to do to mitigate the problem."
The county's request comes as the Navy resumed use of its main
runway on Monday. It was offline seven months for lighting
improvements and runway extension work. That runway runs east to
west, with jets taking off over Geiger Key.
While the main runway was offline, the Navy used a secondary
north-south runway with a take-off pattern away from residential
neighborhoods. Many Lower Keys residents in the area want the
Navy to use the secondary runway full time.
Holmes contends the Navy cannot use the secondary runway
exclusively, as it is safer to use the longer main runway.
Extending the runway would require a lengthy and complicated
process of changing the already controversial Air Installation
Compatible Use Zones.
Besides, Holmes said, such a change would only move the noise
onto another community. The base received complaints from
neighbors in other areas after it temporarily switched runways.
tohara@keysnews.com
Published Saturday, March 21, 2009
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