BY ANNE GROGAN | Donner Lake
Not long ago, this region’s airport district board elections were colored with language about airport noise, declining property values and quality of life. At times the discourse was downright uncivil. We are no longer discussing airport noise or its impacts to quality of life and property values as an issue in our community. The current board has worked with staff and assisted pilots and residents in reducing impacts of flight over our neighborhoods. The board bought a simulator that satisfies some requirements for take-off and landing practice for pilots-in-training. The simulator can replace incidents of take-off and landing practice, thus reducing multiple noise incidents per day.
The board also responsibly considered future impacts to areas surrounding airport property by investing in partnership with the Truckee Donner Land Trust to help ensure no new neighborhoods are irresponsibly constructed in close proximity to the airport. The properties in which the board invested are beautiful, open to the public and well managed by the land trust. The board’s decision prevents development in the noise perimeter, and thus prevents future noise complaints.
And the current airport board recently constructed for our region a beautiful new multi-functional meeting space unlike any other available to the local public, fulfilling a gaping regional need.
For all these reasons, and for individual commitment to the community, I support Lisa Wallace, Mary Hetherington and Tom Van Berkem for Truckee Tahoe Airport District board. The course the airport board has taken over recent years is the right course for our region. I’d like our airport district board to continue on this path that seems to breed civility. Hetherington and Van Berkem are incumbents; Wallace has the endorsement of the exiting board member. Wallace, Hetherington and Van Berkem have my vote.
