Citizen Policy Proposals for the PDK Master Plan

Submitted for Consideration at the DeKalb County Public Meeting on PDK Master Plan Policy on September 19, 2005

Introduction: Concerned citizens would like to request that the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners consider approving the following PDK Master Plan policies, in addition to the policy proposals that the PDK Airport Advisory Board has already approved and sent to the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners in June 2005.

While the June 2005 AAB proposals appear unobjectionable in themselves (who could disagree with such generalities as that PDK Airport should abide by federal, state, and county laws or seek to be environmentally sensitive), we feel that the following additional policies must be approved to give the more specific policy guidance and direction needed by those undertaking the PDK Master Plan study:

1. That PDK Airport shall remain a "general aviation" CII airport that supports the servicing and accommodation of small light aircraft, and that no engineering changes be made that could allow PDK to become a CIII airport, capable of handling much larger aircraft. (“CII” and “CIII” classification shall be as they were defined by the FAA at the date that the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners authorized a new PDK Master Plan study in August 2004).

2. That the following policy provision from the 1992 PDK Master plan should be retained, namely: "There shall be no expansion of current boundaries except when: (1) the property is required for safety and can be designated as a permanent greenspace, or (2) the property is acquired for noise abatement purposes and will be restricted to compatible land use which does not include expansion of runways and taxiways."

3. That permanent and mandatory approach and departure procedures to reduce airport-related impacts to residential areas be instituted; that all air traffic (IFR and VFR), instrument, itinerant and local shall be required to use the least residentially disruptive flight paths; and that the height of planes above residential areas shall be the maximum permissible altitude before aircraft turn on course.

4. That DeKalb County and PDK Airport shall abide by the contractually binding promise to limit aircraft using PDK to those with certified maximum takeoff weights of 66,000 lbs. or less, which agreement was made with the FAA and the public, and recognized and relied on by the Federal Court of Appeals in Atlanta in 1988.