BRYAN COUNTY, Ga. () – A new airport could be coming to Bryan County in the near future, but many residents said they don’t support it.
Monday marked the inaugural meeting of the Bryan County Airport Authority in Richmond Hill, providing a platform for residents to express their concerns about a proposed new airport in their area.
“I don’t understand why we’re pursuing new projects when existing infrastructure issues, such as drainage and flooding, remain unresolved,” commented Cynthia, a Bryan County resident, during the meeting’s public input session.
Almost all who gave public comment at the meeting said they’re against the project, putting the board on defense at their very first meeting.
“I think that the city and anyone responsible for this has not made any real effort to be in touch with us,” Bryan County resident Gloria said.
Some questioned who will really benefit from an airport.
“Clearly, the majority in Bryan County don’t own aircraft. From the report, I believe it indicated around 35 aircraft owners,” stated Corey Foreman, a Bryan County local running for Georgia’s State Senate District 1. “Considering our population of nearly 50,000, these 35 owners don’t represent the wider community’s interests.”
Despite these concerns, some believe that the airport’s impact would be minimal, as it is intended to primarily serve private aircraft, military emergency landings, and medical flights.
“I think there’s a substantial gap between local public perception and the actual facts,” said Brian Leftwich, a Bryan County resident and aircraft owner. “If the public understood the number of aircraft and the volume of traffic, their perspective might change.”
Bryan County Airport Authority members emphasized that the project is not expected to be any additional cost to taxpayers.
“According to the FAA funding formula, the airport would be financed with 90% federal, 5% state, and 5% local contributions, the local being covered by the airport authority,” explained Trip Addison, Chair of the Richmond Hill-Bryan County Airport Authority. “Today’s meeting was primarily focused on organizational matters, as outlined by the legislation, and wasn’t intended for extensive business discussions.”
Following the meeting, though, many members of the public remained skeptical.
“I feel like they’re trying to shove this through, and we’re just really not about that,” Bryan County resident Julie Pecenka said.
According to the board, there will be additional opportunities for residents to give public comment at upcoming meetings.
However, ultimately the airport authority will have final say on the project.
