Council gets earful on airport issue
An overflow crowd of people packed into Kalispell City Hall to share their opinions Monday about the city airport’s future.
Kirtlye Lohof told City Council members she didn’t plan to weigh in on the issue. But fresh off her first solo flight earlier that evening, she said she couldn’t resist.
“My parents own a plane and keep it in a hangar at Red Eagle. If that wasn’t there, I would not have experienced the exhilaration and challenge of learning to fly,” Lohof said.
As for the noise complaints from other Kalispell residents? “I hear more barking dogs and roaring [motorcycles] than I ever hear airplanes,” she said.
Lohof was one of 71 people who spoke at Monday’s public hearing that lasted nearly four hours. It was held as the City Council prepares to vote on the airport’s future May 21.
A crowd surpassing the capacity of council chambers forced some people to wait in the lobby for a chance to come in and speak.
Comments were 42 to 29 in favor of keeping or expanding Kalispell City Airport.
Most of those airport supporters spoke in favor of a proposed $16 million expansion that would bring the 83-year-old facility up to B-II design standards with federal Airport Improvement Program funds from taxes and fees on airline tickets, aviation fuel and aircraft parts.
SOME PEOPLE focused on the economic impact of the proposed expansion. They included Tom Bass and Bill Goodman, who called the project “just what Kalispell needs.”
“Consider the money that would be spent on construction,” Bass said. “A lot of people in this community need those jobs or those materials bought.”
Peter Gross said his business, Kalispell Air Repair, has 34 highly paid employees, and all but one of them is working in Missoula.
“Fifteen of those are Flathead Valley people,” Gross said. “The reason we’re working in Missoula is because I don’t have an airport, an economic engine, to let my company grow as it should here in Kalispell.”
Joe Unterreiner, president of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, said his board of directors recommends the expansion as the “most productive and balanced” option for the airport.
SOME OPPONENTS argued that an expansion of Kalispell City Airport is not worthwhile.
Gerald Miller said it makes no sense with a top-notch facility such as Glacier Park International Airport nearby.
General aviation “is a shrinking and dying industry ... If anyone says this general aviation market around here is going to expand, they’re wrong,” he said.
James Loran questioned the master plan report by Stelling Engineers in terms of how many airplanes are using the airport and how many will use the airport if it is expanded.
“It’s great if you’re a business out there,” Loran said of the proposed expansion. “But for the majority of people in this community it’s not a good deal at all ... See it for what it is, a costly duplication of services.”
Lex Blood said the decision before City Council members boils down to expanding or not expanding the airport.
“I stand with those who emphatically say no to expansion, no to larger aircraft, no to higher volumes of air traffic, no to more noise, no to increased safety concerns and no to financial uncertainty,” Blood said.
“Once this decision has been made we can consider longer-term uses for this very important and valuable piece of municipal real estate.”
SOME NEIGHBORS attended the hearing to voice noise and safety concerns about the airport
Mike Satterly recalled how a plane crashed into his neighbor’s house on Fourth Avenue West.
“I still watch the planes and like them, but I’m a little more analytical about how high they are and whether I can still see the smile on the pilot’s face or not,” he said.
“Having an airport in a town like Kalispell today is a bit of an anomaly. It may have had its place in the past, but it’s becoming more of a residential town and it just doesn’t seem like a good fit.”
Matt Gray said noise from planes and helicopters harms people’s quality of life in Kalispell.
He predicted the expansion would fail by a wide margin if put to a public vote as some have requested.
“It scares me to take FAA money because we as a city would lose control over the noise. I’d like to see the city take steps to do something about the noise currently.”
Mark Paulson called the proposed upgrade a “game-changer” for people living around the airport.
“Yes, I knew the airport was there when I bought [my house]. But if you vote to expand this airport you’re changing the rules in the middle of the game and despite what has been said, there will be more and louder and larger airplanes ... I just ask you to consider people living in these neighborhoods.”
SUPPORTERS ARGUED that the proposed expansion to B-II design standards would create a safer, quieter airport and not turn it into “Kalispell Jet Center.”
They also questioned the financial ability of Kalispell to reject the expansion and maintain and improve the airport with only local money, as some council members have said they would prefer to do.
“Please continue to partner with past councils who set precedent and overwhelmingly supported this facility,” said Scott Richardson, president of Kalispell’s airport advisory board.
After more than 10 years of debate over the airport, it’s going to be the same old question before Kalispell City Council.
“If this [expansion] was done 10 years ago, this airport would be profitable and flourishing,” predicted Tom Kern. “This needs to be expanded to be safer and more profitable and beneficial to this community.”
Mary Mumby wasn’t convinced.
“Some years ago I owned the house where the plane crashed. We were lucky. The last accident that happened we were lucky again. I don’t see how expanding this airport will make us any luckier,” Mumby said. “It’s a gamble and I’m not willing to take it.”
City Council members did not comment on the airport at Monday’s public hearing.
“It’s going to be up to them to hash out on May 21,” said Charles Harball, city attorney and interim city manager.
Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.