Lebanon Airport Trees Will Be Cut

Lebanon Most members of the Lebanon City Council stood by their previous decision to move forward with a project to remove more than 30 acres of trees on airport property along Poverty Lane, despite some residents pleas that they reconsider the work during a discussion at City Hall on Thursday.

City officials reiterated their reasons for supporting the tree removal, saying that the trees are obstacles for pilots landing or departing from the airports east-west runway, the tree removal is required by the Federal Aviation Administration and, should the city fail to move forward with the project as planned, it would risk losing federal grant money and insurance for the airport.

We have to follow FAA guidelines, said Mayor Georgia Tuttle to the 25 residents and airport users gathered. If we dont do the safety project because its a known danger ... they wont allow us to have insurance because we are declining to fix something that we know about.

In addition to clearing 33 acres of trees, the $1.2 million project includes removing 38 obstruction lights, replacing them with two 110-foot slow flashing beacons, and moving a fence. Ninety percent of the project is expected to be funded by the FAA, with the state and the city each contributing 5 percent.

The sole city councilor to speak in support of revisiting the issue, Steve Wood, whose Poverty Lane orchard abuts the airport, suggested the city consider scaling back the project to remove only the tallest trees. He argued that the decision to remove the trees was not in the interest of safety, but the citys response to threats by the FAA.

We have not acted in the interest of safety, he said. We have acted as children being told by Daddy what to do.

Wood said that the city struggles to maintain the current safety precautions it has in place, noting that there are 8-10 bulbs out in the existing obstruction lights.

If were so concerned about liability, why arent we replacing the light bulbs? he asked. We should revisit this.

Airport Manager Rick Dyment said replacing the 38 obstruction lights with two taller slow flashing beacons will make them easier for airport staff to maintain.

Due to concerns relating to the projects potential effects on property values, the environment, sound and light, residents requested that the council return to the negotiating table with the FAA to see if the number of trees to be removed could be reduced or delay the project until the city completes an airport master plan, which officials said would take two years.

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Lebanon Airport Trees Will Be Cut