Abandoned authority: Halting plans for a new airport is a wise move

Chancellor Holden Thorp's decision to abandon efforts to seat an airport authority to replace Horace Williams Airport was a prudent move.

Recent protests by Orange County residents persuaded UNC officials to re-evaluate the timing and manner in which the University should proceed in its plans to construct a new airport in Orange County.

Many community leaders were caught off-guard this summer when the General Assembly authorized the creation of an airport authority with the power to use eminent domain to acquire county land for the airstrip's construction.

Orange County officials were given little detail about the authority's scope of work funding and the level of local involvement it planned to allow. The authority was stacked with UNC officials giving Orange County officials and residents little input in the planning process.

Although plans to seat an airport authority have been put on hold the future need for a new runway in Orange County is bound to come up again.

The Area Health and Education Centers program which flies health professionals to clinics across the state will be relocated to a new facility at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. However relocating to RDU is not ideal due to its distance from the University.

AHECs currently operates out of Horace Williams Airport allowing doctors quick access to patients. The extended travel time associated with the proposed RDU hangar will hinder the ability of health care professionals to access individuals who are in need of urgent care.

While poor economic conditions may further delay the closing of the Horace Williams airstrip the future construction of a new airport in Orange County is a long-term necessity. A new regional airport will not only assist health care professionals in reaching patients it will also provide easier access to the future Carolina North campus.

In the future the University must make a more concerted effort to promote public involvement and transparency if it wants to be successful in constructing a new airport in Orange County.