An initial public presentation on a proposed 6,000-foot runway at Waukegan National Airport was met with more than an hour of both praise and criticism from area residents.
Scaled back from a controversial proposal three years ago to build a 7,000-foot runway requiring the acquisition of 52 acres of Lake County Forest Preserves District land, the current plan will need just a quarter-acre of forest preserve land.
Susan Zingle, an opponent of the project, said the environmental impact of the construction of the new runway goes beyond the size of forest preserve land being sold, which is part of the Waukegan Savanna.
“The impacts affect the entire savanna, not just those narrow pieces,” Zingle said. “This is an issue of maintaining the integrity of the Waukegan Savanna for all who enjoy it — people, birds, critters — and maintaining trust with the citizens.”
Brian Palka, one of the people speaking in favor of the project, said the airport is an important part of the community and the new runway will help the economic growth of not only Waukegan, but Lake County overall.
It’s an economic engine,” Palka said. “It will bring jobs to the area, good jobs.”
Zingle and Palka were among 21 members of the public who gave their views of the new runway during a presentation detailing the project on Wednesday at a meeting of the Waukegan Port District at the Waukegan National Airport, giving the public its first close look at the proposal.
Craig Louden, the project engineer with engineering firm CMT, said the current runway no longer meets Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines and has outlived its useful life. Replacing it would take three construction seasons, requiring a three-year closure.
Building a new runway roughly parallel to the current one allows the airport to remain open, he said. Louden said that because of its new location, a tunnel under it will be built on Green Bay Road to avoid the creation of potential traffic congestion.
With a preliminary draft environmental assessment prepared, Louden said the Port District seeks a de minimis request from the FAA since it wants only a quarter-acre of forest preserve land. The Forest Preserves District must agree to the request.
“It allows a condensed environmental assessment,” Louden said. “The local FAA wants Lake County Forest Preserves District concurrence. It’s important because it’s public land.”
Along with the quarter-acre, Louden said the Port District is asking the Forest Preserves District for an 18.3-acre navigation easement, of which 15.5 acres are wooded, and 7.2 acres contain trees. It will require the removal of trees, which will be replaced according to Forest Preserves requirements.
Louden said the easement provides the necessary safe area for planes to land and take off with clear vision.
Doug Ower, the chair of the Sierra Club’s local chapter, took issue with the de minimis designation. He said at the meeting that the Forest Preserves District should not concur. Though the sale is only about a quarter-acre, the 18.3-acre easement makes it more serious.
“It is the Forest Preserves’ formal statement that the runway project ‘will not adversely affect’ the preserves’ protected features and activities,” Ower said. “Yet here we are talking about roughly 18 acres that could involve the removal or topping of 800 trees.”
Before the FAA makes a final decision, there will be a public hearing where anyone is able to look at the plans and make comments. Louden said that will likely take place in November. People can also submit written comments to the FAA.
Of the 21 people who spoke at the meeting, 10 voiced support, seven spoke against it and the others were neutral on the issue. Marcus Jordan said the growth coming with the new runway will help the local economy both now and in the future. It will also create jobs.
“These jobs are opportunities for the next generation,” Jordan said. “These are not just jobs, but a pipeline for the growth of the airport and Waukegan.”
“This is good for the entire economy of Lake County,” added Tim Marabella.
Former Waukegan mayor and state Sen. Bill Morris said the project violates a “decades-old promise of never extending the runway across Green Bay Road.” He suggests not going west of Green Bay Road to avoid removing the trees.
“Saving 550 or more mature carbon-dioxide-absorbing trees, grandfathers as the native people called them, improves air quality,” Morris said. “Those trees capture 12 to 20 tons or more of carbon dioxide annually.”
A joint meeting of the Lake County Forest Preserves Districts’ finance, operations and planning committees will discuss the runway issue at 8:30 a.m. June 1, with the full Board of Commissioners scheduled to vote at 9 a.m. on June 10.
