Forest preserve committee moves Waukegan airport runway plan forward
Amid questions and concerns, Lake County Forest Preserve officials agreed Monday to advance the process that could lead to a new runway at Waukegan National Airport.
The forest district's planning committee voted 5-2 in favor of a nonbinding agreement with the airport and the Federal Aviation Administration to release an environmental assessment and allow for public hearings on the proposal.
The vote followed several public comments as well as discussion among forest preserve commissioners regarding the $186 million plan. The matter now will go to the full forest board Feb. 21 for a final vote.
The forest preserve is involved in the plan because the Waukegan Port District, which operates the airport, needs 52 acres of district property to replace the current 6,000-foot runway with a new one that is 7,000 feet long.
Pending final approval of the agreement, the environmental assessment is expected to be released to the forest district by the end of the month for a 30-day preview. It would then become available to the public.
"Once we get to see that environmental assessment, we'll know what we're dealing with," forest preserve Executive Director Ty Kovach said Monday.
If the process continues, specific district concerns, conditions or directives regarding the property sale or any other element would be outlined in an intergovernmental agreement.
Several who spoke during the public comment portion of Monday's committee meeting said there are unanswered questions regarding noise, pollution and other elements of the plan. They said that information should have been made public before Monday's vote.
"You don't need to sign this (agreement) to have a public meeting," said Barbara Klipp, executive director of the Midwest Sustainability Group.
Doug Ower, chair of the woods and wetlands group of the Sierra Club, added, "It's just backward."
Commissioner John Wasik was one of two commissioners voting against the agreement.
"It's like signing a contract for a home you haven't seen and haven't inspected," he said. "I think what this really deserves is a referendum. We have a debt to future generations, not just ourselves."
Supporters countered that this is only an initial step.
"You're not going to lose anything. You're not going to destroy anything," Waukegan Alderman Keith Turner said.
Paula Trigg, a representative of the port district board, added that "this has been a need for a long time as a safety improvement."
"This (memorandum of agreement) is just to let the process continue so we can get to the public hearing," Trigg said.
While it has a say on a possible property sale, the forest preserve district cannot block the runway project. The airport could build within its existing footprint, but that would require closing operations for up to three years, officials have said.
Airport authorities say the facility has a $180 million annual economic impact on Lake County. Runway 5/23 is at the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced to meet FAA safety requirements, they say.