Craig field neighbors could benefit from amendment

The amendment would require that changes to local comprehensive plans be approved by local voters.

The argument behind it is that special interests and powerful developers often run roughshod over local elected officials who are beholden to them for campaign contributions and that the people who are adversely affected by the comp plan changes have very little say.

Hello, Craig field runway. Come on down.

Arlington residents have fought the runway extension for decades, fearful that increased noise from bigger jets would affect their quality of life and concerned about planes crashing into their homes.

In 2001, opponents of the extension secured promises from both the City Council and the Jacksonville Port Authority that the runway would not be extended.

But now comes the Jacksonville Aviation Authority, which controls Craig, flexing its muscles by getting almost every high-powered lobbyist in town to try to convince City Council members that those promises should be ignored.

And in a report released earlier this week, the city's Planning and Development Department bought the JAA's fishy story hook, line and sinker, and recommended that the city's comp plan be changed to allow the longer runway.

Well, not quite hook, line and sinker.

The Planning Department did recommend that the JAA promise that the type of aircraft using the longer runway be limited to the aircraft using the airport now and that any future extensions or new runways would be banned.

That's hogwash. It's clear that promises mean nothing to the JAA.

More than 200 people showed up at Tuesday night's City Council meeting to oppose the runway extension.

Some of them reminded Mayor John Peyton that he promised while campaigning in 2003 that he would oppose the runway extension and veto any legislation allowing it.

Peyton has gone wishy-washy on that promise now and is deferring to City Council.

At least one council leader is sticking to his convictions.

City Council President Daniel Davis fought hard against the Navy's return to Cecil Field because his Westside constituents had similar concerns about noise and safety.

Davis told me this week that "it would be difficult for me to take a position on one side of town that I wouldn't take on the other."

That was a position the whole council took.

But you can bet that the high-powered lobbyists now doing the JAA's bidding will be pushing City Council members to see things differently this time.

If they buckle, Florida Hometown Democracy will have another poster child for its cause, a very powerful one.