A proposed cargo airport in Houston that would be built entirely in the Willow Area Community Organization territory has riled residents in both communities.
A resolution identifying State land that might be conveyed to the City will be voted on by the Houston City Council on August 8th at their regular meeting. The item is included in their consent agenda so will have no discussion unless a Council member pulls it.
The resolution includes a statement about how the City would work specifically with Alaska State Representative Kevin McCabe. He would provide assistance to determine if the State land is available and how it might be transferred to the City. Without any input from the public or community councils to date. There also has been no input from the Borough or State. Though McCabe says by phone interview that he requested to be removed from the language and to be replaced with State Representative instead.
Located directly south of Nancy Lake and west of the Nancy Lakes Recreation Area, the proposed site would significantly impact recreation as well as hinder all other air traffic in the area. Willow Area Community Organization, or WACO (WAY-koh), Vice-chair Greg Jones says there are 26 airports in the Willow area. He says it would devastate the Willow community. Cargo airports require runways of about two miles with about a ten-mile approach.
Jones believes Houston’s goal is to increase jobs and revenue with the proposed airport. He thinks those are all appropriate goals for a city, but that by working with Willow, they could build something viable for both communities.
McCabe says he spoke with Houston Mayor Carter Cole about six months ago about the potential for the airport. McCabe says he told Cole that community buy-in would be critical. However, Cole has not reached out to WACO, even at the urging of WACO’s Vice-chair Greg Jones.
And Willow area residents do not support the proposed airport. Based on Houston residents who attended this week’s WACO meeting, Houston area residents don’t support it either.
McCabe says he believes the cargo airport would cost about two billion dollars and would take a decade or more to be built. If ever.
Even if it never gets built, the idea of it is dividing the communities, says WACO Vice-chair Greg Jones.
