Traverse City Record-Eagle

Grand Traverse County

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December 19, 2009

Airport proposal would move Garfield Road

BY BRIAN McGILLIVARY

TRAVERSE CITY -- A proposed multi-million dollar runway expansion to improve safety and increase flight capacity at Cherry Capital Airport would include the relocation of a section of Garfield Avenue.

The Northwestern Regional Airport Commission recently approved an application to the Federal Aviation Administration to lengthen its main east/west runway by adding 400 feet to each end. That change won't impact Three Mile Road to the east, but the airport will need to shift busy Garfield Avenue about 150 feet to the west to accommodate FAA regulations of 1,000 feet of obstruction-clear space beyond the runway.

Estimated cost for the entire project is $6.7 million, and it could be completed by 2011 or 2012, airport officials said.

"What triggered this is when we had an overrun by a Canada Air regional jet in April 2007, and that initiated a review of the runway safety area and lengthening the runway," airport Director Stephen Cassens said. "But when we got to the final conclusion, it's about capacity. A measure of increased safety will just be a positive byproduct of what we're doing to address capacity."

Longer runways won't result in larger jets, but will allow current passenger aircraft to fill their seats. During the summer when temperatures are above 80 degrees, planes must leave anywhere from one to six seats unfilled due to runway length.

"More than 1,000 seats each year are limited and that's the time we would be flying at capacity," Cassens said.

The FAA also wants to increase runway length requirements when airstrips are wet or covered with compacted snow. The new requirements would leave the present 6,500-foot-long runway 100 feet short for most fully loaded jets landing on compacted snow, Cassens said.

The jets could still meet FAA requirements by carrying either fewer passengers or less fuel, but the new 7,300-foot runway would allow jets to run at full capacity year-round.

It also adds a small margin of safety, but doesn't guarantee aircraft won't overshoot their landing area -- as did the Canada Air jet, Cassens said.

Grand Traverse County Commissioner Larry Inman, a member of the airport commission, said the extended runway and new section of Garfield Road will be beneficial.

"The airport is really an economic tool for northwest Michigan and anything we can do to encourage more flights and more passengers while improving Garfield is a win-win for the area," Inman said.

The airport can't push the runway any more than 400 feet to the less-populated east because of terrain in the Holiday Hills area, Cassens said. The commission agreed that moving Garfield Avenue would better position the airport for the future and is less expensive than other options.

The airport would pay the entire cost to shift the road west starting at Boon Street and then back east again. It proposes a divided road with a median with sidewalks or a paved bike path to replace the dirt footpath that currently stretches across its property.

"I think people use those paths not just for recreation but for commuting purposes and this project would help to rectify a problem," Cassens said.

The road changes would require the airport to obtain a part of Traverse Motors auto dealership property on the north and a single home on the south, Cassens said.

The section of road involved is controlled by the county road commission and Traverse City. Road Commission Manager Mary Gillis said it's too early to take a position on the proposed alignment change without more details. She noted, however, that adding pedestrian paths and a new section of pavement at no cost to the road commission or city are both "positives."

Cassens said the first step is to obtain approval from the FAA. The airport commission would then apply to the FAA for improvement funds, since runway upgrade projects always rate a high priority.

He also expects to schedule meetings with Traverse City, Garfield Township, the road commission and the public early in 2010.

"If everything comes together we should be done with the project by the end of either 2011 or 2012," Cassens said.

The homes most affected by the lengthened runway are all in Garfield Township. Township Supervisor Chuck Korn said he didn't know anything about the proposed project but doesn't see any reason for concern.

"My immediate reaction is that it would probably be something good for the area," Korn said.

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