Letter to the Editor, State Journal, Frankfort KY. 22 June 2013
Bigger Boone will hurt city
Plan to expand aviation facility needs to be re-evaluated
By Pat Layton Published: June 22, 2013
I was a professional real estate agent and broker in Franklin County for more than 18 years. I served on the joint land use study group when it was first organized, but resigned more than two years ago and did not participate in approving the findings or recommendations that have been issued in the final study. I have asked that my name be deleted from the list of committee members.
As a former real estate professional, I understand that advising buyers and sellers in both residential and commercial property transactions is a serious business. For a residential buyer, the purchase of a home is probably the largest single investment the family will ever make. For investors and developers, there are businesses and jobs on the line that depend on a sound decision.
Because of the importance of the decisions — both for residential and commercial real estate — I was deeply troubled and concerned when I first heard about recommendations of the joint land use study. Although longtime residents of Frankfort have lived with the airport and the helicopter operations at the Boone Center for years, recommendations in the study signal a new phase in the community’s relationship with the Boone Center and the airport that should give the community pause.
Across the country, joint land use studies are being undertaken in communities near military installations, particularly when those installations are gearing up for expansion, as is the case here. Not only is the Boone Center proposing a new and expanded Army Aviation Support Facility at a cost of $48 million, but more than $100 million in additional construction has been proposed in the last two six-year statewide capital improvement plans conducted by state government.
The joint land use study recommendations as to real estate are several. An Airport Overlay District would be adopted as part of the Comprehensive Plan. The district identifies various zones based in proximity to the airport. A large area of the city would fall within the Planning Influence Area and ALL PROPERTY TITLES IN THIS AREA WOULD INCLUDE A FORMAL NOTE DISCLOSING THE PROXIMITY TO THE AIRPORT. An online data base would be developed so that all properties within the Airport Overlay District could be searched with additional information provided as to impact such as noise, vibration, low flying aircraft, training and potential accidents.
Additional recommendations apply to those areas in the Approach Zones, which includes most of South Frankfort, the downtown commercial district and neighborhoods to the west of the airport.
It is being recommended by the joint land use study that realtors and owners provide both prospective buyers and renters a notarized disclosure stating: “The subject property may therefore be exposed to periodic low-level military and civilian aircraft over flights and associated noise and vibration, the risk of aircraft accident and other impacts associated with standard military training activities.”
Clearly this will make these properties less attractive to investors, buyers and renters, and may, over time, result in a loss of investment dollars in critical places across Frankfort and a decline of highly visible neighborhoods that will reflect poorly on the entire city.
All of this raises so many questions that it is hard to list them. What about the families and investors who already own property in affected areas? What happens to their equity and investment? Why would any future buyers or investors be interested in putting their money and their life’s work in an area like this? What happens to our historic neighborhoods like South Frankfort and downtown? What happens to the city and county property valuation and tax base? Are local governments responsible for compensation to aggrieved property owners, since it will be local ordinances that implement these recommendations?
Without question, what we are seeing in an initiative by the Boone Center to carve out control across the city to make way for its expanding mission of attracting Chinook and other helicopters for repair from across the country, not just from Kentucky.
Why is this expansion taking place in Frankfort, where testing and training flights occur over a densely populated area? Kentucky has dedicated thousands of acres to National Guard training in Muhlenberg County. Bluegrass Station is vast and rural, if there is a need to stay in central Kentucky. Doesn’t this plan need to be re-evaluated?
Pat Layton is a retired realtor, businesswoman and Frankfort city commissioner.