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Stafford Regional Airport Authority turns to the courts for tree removal Date published: 3/10/2010
BY JONAS BEALS The Stafford Regional Airport Authority has officially started the eminent domain process that could result in removing trees from private property. Members of the authority voted 6-0 yesterday to approve a resolution that initiates condemnation proceedings on property owned by Suzanne and Mike Geslois off U.S. 1 east of the regional airport. Their 40 acres is mostly wooded, zoned for agricultural use and is currently taxed under land-use status. The land lies in the extensive airport overlay district. The authority has determined that some of the trees on the Gesloises' property are too tall for safe operation of the all-weather landing approach. The authority wants to purchase an easement on the Geslois property, not the land itself. So far, the Gesloises have rejected an offer of $86,000 for the easement, claiming that the trees buffer their home from surrounding industrial development and planes overhead. Removing the trees would knock the Gesloises out of the land-use program, resulting in a potential tenfold increase in annual real estate taxes. It is unclear which trees the authority needs to remove, how many need to go or how they will be cleared. Suzanne Geslois pleaded her case for a second time during yesterday's public hearing. She talked about how her quality of life would suffer without the trees. Her attorney, Clark Leming, reminded the authority that, by law, they could "only do what is absolutely necessary." "Please go slow with this," he said. "All she wants to do is continue what she has done in the past." Despite the unanimous vote to proceed with a condemnation hearing, some authority members expressed their sympathy. "The numbers are stunning in terms of what occurs if this moves forward," authority member John Garvin said of the potential real estate tax increase. The next step is for both parties to set a court date. A negotiated agreement can be reached at any time during the eminent domain process. Jonas Beals: 540/368-5036
Since there is such a shortage of commuter parking the 5000 ft long x 100 ft wide runway should be turned in to a 5000 spot parking lot. Charging only a $1/day for parking would generate more revenue that the airport does now. That would spur the need for a coffee shop, deli, 1 day drycleaner, and more commuter busses. Why that would be more new business than that taxpayer subsidized beast has ever generated.
would bet taken away. As long as the land is planted in
trees, or other vegetation, Christmas Trees, bamboo,
kumquats even, can't it stay in land-use?
Say you have a plot of land with trees on it and you harvest
the trees and replant them. Does the land-use status
change when you harvest them?
It sounds to me that the way the airport folks are going
about this is out of hand and they need to be reined in.
this is a really good example of what can happen when you
give an unelected group unchecked power.
in the "extensive airport overlay district". I wonder how many of those are "suddenly" too tall? We say poor planning, but maybe this was the plan.
are playing the eminent domain card pretty fast and loose these days.
How high did they grow in such a short time with drought after drought we have had? And why was the growth not predicted? Piss poor planning by your elected officials. I still maintain the same opinion on what happened in this situation. And they have the authority because they are formed by the government and given powers by the government. Same argument about big O's commissions in DC. They are granted their powers through proxy of being a government created and appointed body.
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