Airport receives final permit

[6thGen]

I thought a REALTOR(TM) would have posted this, but they are probably far too busy writing contracts right now as the property begins to fly off the shelf.

Statement from Dawn A. Moliterno, President & CEO of the Walton County Chamber of Commerce on the issuance of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 404 Permit, the final permit necessary to begin construction of the relocated Panama City - Bay County International Airport.



"The relocation of the Panama City - Bay County airport is very important to Walton County, and we are pleased the Airport Authority has now completed the permitting phase of the project.



"Air service in our region has been overpriced and we've been underserved for too long. This new airport will give us a competitive boost and put us in a position to win low cost air service for the region. There will be tremendous economic development opportunities too, and we will have to work hard to expand and diversify our local economy.



"We are please to see the project move on to the construction phase."



PANAMA CITY - BAY COUNTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

RECEIVES FINAL FEDERAL PERMIT NEEDED

FOR AIRPORT RELOCATION



Airport Relocation Project Enters Construction Phase



The Panama City - Bay County International Airport and Industrial District (Airport Authority) announced today that its airport relocation project is entering the construction phase now that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued the final necessary federal permit, completing the permitting process. The new airport will be located in western Bay County north of County Road 388 and east of State Road 79 on land being donated by The St. Joe Company (NYSE: JOE).



"With the permitting process now complete, we have entered the construction phase of the project," said Airport Authority Chairman Joe Tannehill. "We intend to move expeditiously to a groundbreaking."



"The receipt of this permit marks yet another major milestone in the decade long effort to bring better air service to Bay County and all of Northwest Florida," said Tannehill. "We have moved a giant step closer to providing this community the opportunity for better air service and more competitive fares; the opportunity to attract new business, industry and jobs to our region; and the opportunity to protect West Bay and preserve tens of thousands of acres for public use and enjoyment."



Under the terms of the Section 404 permit, The St. Joe Company is providing a conservation easement on 9,609 acres for the mitigation of airport construction impacts. The land, located southeast of the airport site, will become part of the West Bay Preservation Area. This easement will become permanent upon the commencement of construction of the airport. St. Joe is also donating 4,000 acres for the new airport site.



All Major State and Federal Permits for Airport Relocation Now in Hand



"We have now completed both the state and federal permitting process, and we have honored our commitment to protect and enhance West Bay as part of the airport relocation process," said Tannehill.



Previously, the Airport Authority had received all necessary permits from the state of Florida, selected a project construction manager and secured financial commitments from the state of Florida and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Airport Authority has received bids for the first phase of airport construction and will select a contractor shortly. In addition, the Airport Authority is working to complete negotiations for the sale of the existing airport.



Rigorous Process Ensured Net Environmental Benefit



In evaluating the Airport Authority's permit application, the USACE was required to consider 1) what cumulative impacts the project would have on the environment if the permits were approved, and 2) if practicable alternatives that would impact fewer wetlands exist.



In issuing the Section 404 permit, the USACE concurred with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's (FDEP) analysis. In its analysis, FDEP cited a number of net ecosystem benefits that will result from the project, including:

· The conservation and permanent protection of significant contiguous portions of the West Bay region, including bay shoreline, wetlands, streams, uplands and the overall watershed;

· A wetlands function lift significantly in excess of that needed to compensate for functional losses (impacts);

· A mitigation plan that significantly exceeds both state and federal requirements for all possible current and future impacts; and

· An effort to restore a large contiguous tract of uplands and wetlands to approximate historical conditions more suitable for dependent species native to the area.





Environmental Protection is a Key Benefit of Airport Relocation



"Local environmental groups and the State of Florida opposed expansion of the current airport in the mid-1990s because of the threat it presented to the St. Andrews Bay system," said Tannehill. "They sought to create a 'win-win' plan for the future by protecting the bay and relocating the airport. Their objective became the Airport Authority's objective. And by working together, West Bay, one of the most pristine bays in Florida, will have important permanent protections in place to ensure future generations will be able to enjoy it, as we have."



Dozens of public meetings and many hours of dedicated work by local citizens, local and national environmentalists, the Bay County Commission and the State of Florida produced the West Bay Area Sector Plan, one of the largest land plans of its kind in the United States. During the years of planning, the Florida Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, the Bay Environmental Study Team (BEST), 1000 Friends of Florida and Florida Wildlife Federation and other local environmental leaders and organizations participated in creating a plan and policies for the sector plan that will protect the water quality, habitat and scenic beauty of West Bay forever.

In addition to the sector planning process, the Airport Authority entered into an Ecosystem Management Agreement (EMA) with the FDEP. The EMA includes a comprehensive mitigation plan for the environmental impacts of the relocation and construction the airport.



The EMA was reached using Florida's innovative Ecosystem Team Permitting approach, a process whereby environmental impacts associated with the airport relocation were avoided or minimized, and a comprehensive mitigation plan was developed through consensus building between the Airport Authority, regulators, and other stakeholders, including local environmental organizations.



The ecological portion of the mitigation plan is also the result of an interagency comprehensive regional planning effort in which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Department of Community Affairs, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Northwest Florida Water Management District, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, The St. Joe Company and the Airport Authority participated.



Relocation of the Panama City - Bay County International Airport



The Airport Authority is nearing completion of a ten-year process to relocate the Panama City - Bay County airport. In the late 1980s, the Airport Authority began an effort to address significant deficiencies at the existing airport, including non-standard runway safety areas. When local environmentalists and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection objected to extending the existing runway system into Goose Bayou, a particularly environmentally sensitive part of St. Andrews Bay, the Airport Authority began considering relocating the airport.



After completion of a feasibility study in 2000 and a site selection study in 2001, the Airport Authority identified a new site for the airport in northwestern Bay County (West Bay) on land owned by The St. Joe Company.



Following the FAA's selection of the site, the Airport Authority partnered with the State of Florida, Bay County and St. Joe in an innovative planning process authorized by Florida law known as "optional sector planning." The process included numerous public meetings, data gathering, analysis and visioning for the future. The plan was approved by Bay County and the State of Florida in 2002 and detailed specific area plans were also approved in 2003.



The sector plan incorporates approximately 78,000 acres and of particular significance is that the boundary of the plan includes an entire bay system (West Bay) thereby allowing unprecedented planning to protect an entire watershed. The purpose of the plan was to ensure that appropriate land uses were placed near the airport and that appropriate environmental protection measures were built into the plan. The plan is conceptual and guides future development and conservation.



One of the most innovative elements of the plan, in addition to the airport and economic development provisions, is the proposed West Bay Preservation Area. The West Bay Preservation Area was designed by local and state environmental leaders to preserve the health and habitat of West Bay forever. This watershed scale plan will preserve approximately 41,000 acres and, when fully implemented, will provide for habitat corridors, open space and stream protection.



Simplified, the objective of the West Bay Preservation Area is to maintain West Bay in its present, pristine state forever. Its vision, especially when compared to the development that has occurred on Florida's other bay front lands, holds the potential to be one of the most significant conservation measures in Florida history. The plan has won statewide praise including the "2007 Promising Practices Award" from the Council for Sustainable Florida.



In 2004, the FAA began preparing a Draft Environmental Impact Statement considering two-dozen alternatives for addressing the deficiencies at the existing airport. In May 2006 the FAA issued its Final Environmental Impact Statement, identifying relocation to the West Bay Site as its Preferred Alternative. In September 2006, the FAA issued its Record of Decision recommending and approving relocation of the Panama City airport to the proposed site in West Bay. There is currently a judicial challenge to the FAA's ROD; however, the ROD remains in force.





# # #



Walton County Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday to Friday

| Two Locations to Better Serve You |

[Babyblue]

You are correct. 2 contracts just written based on the Airport final OK.

[seacliffes]

HooRah!

[Watersound]

Real estate agents...what's the word?

Will this accelerate activity?

Thanks.

[Sandcastle]

Finally!! Glad to hear this.

[Miss Kitty]

BUY BUY BUY!!!!

[Babyblue]

Countrywide hold on. Here comes the Calvary!

[florida girl]

I find it difficult to believe that the enviromentalists in our area are in favor of this project. There will be lots of yellow equipment plowing down lots of trees and brush!

[Arkiehawg]

I find it difficult to believe that the enviromentalists in our area are in favor of this project. There will be lots of yellow equipment plowing down lots of trees and brush!

Now that's funny considering the 100 fold environmental damage that has been caused by all of the SoWal "growth"......

[Bobby J]

I find it difficult to believe that the enviromentalists in our area are in favor of this project. There will be lots of yellow equipment plowing down lots of trees and brush!

"Under the terms of the Section 404 permit, The St. Joe Company is providing a conservation easement on 9,609 acres for the mitigation of airport construction impacts. The land, located southeast of the airport site, will become part of the West Bay Preservation Area. This easement will become permanent upon the commencement of construction of the airport. St. Joe is also donating 4,000 acres for the new airport site".

I think that may be why some were in favor.

[florida girl]

I understand that St. Joe owns over 185,000 acres, whats 9000+? It's still a tree farm that will be cut down. I wonder if our local officials use the same ratio with other land owners?

[Bob]

Countrywide hold on. Here comes the Calvary!

Hey now, this has nothing to do with divine intervention, does it?

[GoodWitch58]

I think it is a sad day for Northwest Florida...the things that made this area magical, are all disappearing because of St. Joe. And, if the present situation is any indication...we might as well live in Ft Lauderdale or Miami.

[Rambunkscious]

Last time I looked, I-10 and I-75 are still open, we're gonna miss you.

[beachmouse]

This ares is never going to turn into another Miami. There are already far too many conservation areas very close to the coast for that to ever happen, and the Nature Conservancy is working with the government to add more to that preservation acreage all the time.

[Gypsea]

This ares is never going to turn into another Miami. There are already far too many conservation areas very close to the coast for that to ever happen, and the Nature Conservancy is working with the government to add more to that preservation acreage all the time.

Thank God it won't be another Miami! Development will happen but I do applaud the land set aside as conservation easements. That is impossible to find in South Florida.

[GoodWitch58]

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/08/19/Co...state__.shtml#

[Smiling JOe]

Doesn't sound like a news story. Frankly, it reads more like a comment on a message board. I wonder if we will ever get back to the point where newspapers print the news? Sure, opinions are good to have and read, but when one sees the article featured on a newspaper's website, it easily becomes confused with real news.

[GoodWitch58]

It's not a news story...look at the top left. It says, Column. He is an OpEd writer.

[Chickpea]

I personally think (but I will add that I am not an expert so this is just opininion) that the new airport will not bring droves and droves of $$ and tourists here - we are still years and years away for that

I understand that many people moved to Sowal to escape and were attracted to the pristine landscape, beautiful beaches, no congestion, etc... but why should others not be afforded this opportunity as well? Smacks a little of NIMBYism (Not In My Backyard ) Development is pretty much inevitable and what we can all do is try manage this growth sensibly, be good stewards of the earth, respect our landscape and resources and make sure our planning boards understands, respects and enforce the all applicable regulations.

[GoodWitch58]

Chickpea, I pretty much agree...I found myself feeling really sad the other day that the quaint little PCB airport that I so enjoy (after many years of travel all over the world through long security lines, and crowded parking areas, etc. etc.)would be gone and in its place would be another huge airport with long lines...however, that is not the most difficult part for me.

I wonder why, with all the land St Joe owns, that the 2000 acres of wetlands surrounding West Bay is the spot they chose to destroy.....it seems we could have both the wetlands and the Bay and the airport with a bit more thought given to balance.

But, it doesn't seem to work that way here....

[Rambunkscious]

Mr Goodwitch, you might (just for kicks) do a little ANALYSIS on what you are talking about. St. Joe has the blessings of the national audubon society AND the local environmental experts in this matter. The only objections are the folks from New York & Tampa, who display their ignorance with every editorial or news story they publish, & are frankly very, very careless with the facts of this project. True, st joe is giving away 4000 acres (a gift from st joe) and ALSO giving away another 9 thousand acres land that joe also owns but has chosen to give it away, to placate the drainage into west bay issue. The project holds enormous economic potential for the area, this was bound to happen with the growth of the area, the peninsula has grown exponentially over the years and I dont see why all the crying when the panhandle choses to do the same thing. Remember its st joes land; if there were not an airport, they could do whatsoever they wanted to with this 13,000 acres without any controls, epa, environmental issues whatsoever. Please consider the facts not the editorials.

[TooFarTampa]

I almost never disagree with Howard Troxler -- he's one of the fairest, smartest writers in the state, and his columns are always thoughtful.

I think he's too harsh here, though I do understand his perspective because I grew up along the beaches of Pinellas County, and even as a young child I was disgusted by what was done to the barrier islands in the 70s and 80s in the name of "progress." We've all seen what has happened to Orlando. It is disturbing. The Panhandle has so much natural beauty and to drive along quiet Highway 79 and think of the airport there ... well, that's OK, but what about the loads of gas stations that will pop up, the hotels, the Mickey D's, and what's going to happen to the people who live in Ebro? Of course as a property owner I'm thrilled that potentially we will be able to take a quick, fairly cheap flight up there, but then I ponder a theme park in Bonifay, office parks popping up here and there, wider roads, congestion ...

I really don't have a beef with St. Joe. Haven't read as much as I've been meaning to about the company, but their developments are well done and I think they are going about most things in the right way -- understanding of course that they are entirely motivated by profit. It's the infill developments that concern me, the little guys trying to pack too many units onto an acre and the commissioners that give them permission. And the thought of so much new density along the coastline doesn't seem very smart either.

As Beachmouse and others have pointed out, this will not be another Miami because there is so much conservation land. It is what I and others love most about 30-A. But people in Florida's largest population centers, who don't have a vested interest in anything that's happening in the Panhandle, are going to shake their heads at the thought of why the area feels the need for so much "progress." Because once you get there, you can't go back.

[Rambunkscious]

Too Far Tampa, if you agree with the above editorial by Troxler, I think you should reconsider. Its wildly subjective at best. It just isnt true. I dont think I could agree with anything he says based on the above column just written. What is his motivation??? It seems he does not have even a remote handle on this subject. Is it a factual omission or commission, I think both but mostly omission. (you can misrepresent easily by omitting some of the critical facts)

[Rambunkscious]

Wow, I read that troxler article again ....what a fine bs specimen.

[TooFarTampa]

As I said, I thought it was too harsh in regards to the airport approval. But you'll also see that the airport is merely his jumping off point for a larger rant. And it's a valid, if pessimistic, one:

"In darker hours, I fear that we are just kidding ourselves by worrying about the future of Florida at all. The future was decided a long time ago.

It consists of building something on every vacant piece of land in this state as long as there is a dollar to be made."

We really don't know exactly how the Panhandle is going to look in 25 or 50 years. (The only thing we do know is there will be proportionally more conservation land than in other parts of the state.) But we CAN see, looking back, what has happened elsewhere in Florida, and for the most part it isn't pretty. With proper planning, maybe the Panhandle will be the exception. I think there still is the possibility of that, which is why I think Troxler was too harsh.

[Rambunkscious]

Too Far Tampa, yes it was all about the larger rant, which at this point in history is a little late. I agree that central & south florida is ruined & that the panhandle is our only hope; I think the airport has been as carefully planned as possible & all sensitivities are in place. This was not the case in the development of Orlando, Tampa, Miami et al. Joe however was not a factor in those cities, if so things might not have turned out so harshly there.

[elgordoboy]

Hey now, this has nothing to do with divine intervention, does it?

Deserves a chuckle

[PalmBeach]

When the airport relocates and the sector plan is implemented, 41,000 acres – more than 60 square miles – will be designated for conservation forever, protecting the entire West Bay watershed.