HWY 331 Plan To Bypass Defuniak ?

[Mike Jones]

Saw this from WZEP AM 1460 and immediately thought it was bs for obstruction purposes ....


TRAINING COULD BRING 1,800 FLIGHT STUDENTS ANNUALLY
A significant boost to the local economy could be landing at the DeFuniak Springs Municipal Airport in the next 24 months.

At Monday’s City Council meeting, airport officials revealed details about recent meetings with one of several companies vying for a $128 million contract with the U.S. Air Force. The unidentified company is bidding for a contract to provide flight training to military pilots at the airport.

The contract would call for the housing, feeding and training of pilots, combat service officers and operators of remote aircraft. The project would bring in excess of $1 million in fuel sales as well as food service and logistical support.

Consultant Jack Owens reported to the council that his research gave the company a reasonable chance of succeeding and winning the military contract. Owens said the company is well positioned to meet requirements not currently being met by the current provider.

The company would add approximately 30 jobs to the airport and would require the development of several acres of the sprawling property. Though the contract is not scheduled to be awarded until early 2018, the council voted to approve $2,500 to complete an engineering study to ensure site development and other aspects of growth can be managed properly.

Councilman Mac Carpenter noted that the study is going to provide the information the city will need anyway as we go forward and would be a prudent expenditure of funds. The vote was unanimous.

 

[CartoonMark]

 

[Misty]

Saw this from WZEP AM 1460 and immediately thought it was bs for obstruction purposes ....


TRAINING COULD BRING 1,800 FLIGHT STUDENTS ANNUALLY
A significant boost to the local economy could be landing at the DeFuniak Springs Municipal Airport in the next 24 months.

At Monday’s City Council meeting, airport officials revealed details about recent meetings with one of several companies vying for a $128 million contract with the U.S. Air Force. The unidentified company is bidding for a contract to provide flight training to military pilots at the airport.

The contract would call for the housing, feeding and training of pilots, combat service officers and operators of remote aircraft. The project would bring in excess of $1 million in fuel sales as well as food service and logistical support.

Consultant Jack Owens reported to the council that his research gave the company a reasonable chance of succeeding and winning the military contract. Owens said the company is well positioned to meet requirements not currently being met by the current provider.

The company would add approximately 30 jobs to the airport and would require the development of several acres of the sprawling property. Though the contract is not scheduled to be awarded until early 2018, the council voted to approve $2,500 to complete an engineering study to ensure site development and other aspects of growth can be managed properly.

Councilman Mac Carpenter noted that the study is going to provide the information the city will need anyway as we go forward and would be a prudent expenditure of funds. The vote was unanimous.

Seems sorta stupid to invest $2,500 dollars on an engineering study at the airport (on a hope and a prayer that you might get a contract) if there is going to be a hwy running through it but hey, I thought is was asinine for the City Attorney to take it upon himself to spend $53,874 on an exit package for Sara Bowers

 

[ShallowsNole]

As one of those pesky south end residents, I am thinking that extending 331 from the intersection at Hwy 90 up past Walton Road to reconnect with 331 North is the best option. There are people who have second homes here, plus "seasoned" visitors, who stop for groceries at Wal-Mart or Winn-Dixie in DeFuniak so that they can avoid the chaos of grocery shopping down here on Saturday evening. It may be that the new Publix in Freeport will also take some of that away from DeFuniak Springs. But - and I know this will offend somebody if not everybody - the businesses that would be most affected by customer loss to a 331 bypass would be those on 331 South, south of 90. This route would keep those businesses in business.

And whatever you do, don't widen the road and put Ed's out of business. You can relocate it, but it just won't be the same and I doubt it will taste the same either.