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BOOK 88 <br />PA. %F. 9 ,� <br />Bill Sherry, Airport Director for the City of Vero Beach <br />Airport, presented recommendations regarding the proposed ordinance <br />to help the Board understand the Airport staff's concerns. He <br />stated that unrestricted development which is incompatible with an <br />airport could eventually create public pressure on the City's and <br />County's elected officials to limit the airport's operational use. <br />Unrestricted use of all airport facilities is necessary to preserve <br />the airport's full operating capability now and in the future for <br />safe and efficient use by the public. He emphasized that each time <br />the City accepted a federal grant, it gave three assurances to the <br />Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that it would protect the <br />approach surfaces of the airport so as not to interfere with, the <br />airport's ability to continue safe and efficient operation: 1) The <br />airport sponsor (in this case the City of Vero Beach) has the duty <br />to continue to maintain and operate the airport in a safe and <br />efficient manner in accordance with all applicable federal state <br />and local requirements; 2) The airport sponsor has the duty to <br />protect the airport runways and approaches by removing and <br />preventing hazards to air navigation; and 3) The airport sponsor <br />has the duty to the extent possible to achieve land use <br />compatibility around the airport. In the event that the airport is <br />found in noncompliance or default of any of these assurances, such <br />action could affect future and past airport improvement funding at <br />all publicly licensed airports in the county. Vero Beach Airport <br />depends on these grants in order to maintain a high level of <br />service to the community. The FAA and FDOT grants have averaged <br />$1.2 million per year in the past and they anticipate $3 million <br />this year. Mr. Sherry contended that although aviation remains <br />among the safest modes of transportation available today, aircraft <br />accidents do occur. Based on National Transportation Safety Board <br />accident records, the majority of all civil aircraft accidents <br />occurred within five miles of the runway and a significant majority <br />occur within the physical dimensions of the runways primary airport <br />approach surfaces. Vero Beach Airport staff cannot support in its <br />present form that portion of the ordinance that pertains to public <br />safety. Airport staff made its position known in earlier drafts of <br />the ordinance and continues to support phraseology that would <br />disallow any development which would create an assembly of people <br />within the airport approach surface. Mr. Sherry felt that uses <br />which store flammable liquids should be prohibited within the <br />overflight zones. Vero Beach Airport staff realized that the <br />property around the airport is going to be developed and urged that <br />the uses be limited to prevent interference with the normal airport <br />operations and not put a large number of people in harm's way. He <br />12 <br />