Letter to Editor

DEAR EDITOR:

I find it extremely interesting that officials with the Louis Armstrong International Airport want to start buying land in St. Charles Parish to prevent it from being developed for other purposes even though federal estimates demonstrate a new runway won’t be needed for at least 15 years. It is apparently their view that we should stop economic development efforts, have neighborhoods removed and just put St. Charles Parish “on hold” while they hope that someday they “might” get approval for a new runway.

At a time when the airport should be focusing its efforts and concentrating on improving current business and enhancing security for passengers, it appears to be a waste of limited resources to begin acquiring properties based on the erroneous assumption that a future runway is a foregone conclusion.

St. Charles Parish officials were not aware of this latest proposal by airport officials. It does not bode well for “regional cooperation” when the residents and elected officials of the area directly impacted are informed of such intentions through a newspaper article.

As St. Charles Parish President, I have repeatedly made it clear that we will not agree to any plans for expansion into our parish until it is demonstrated, in clear and definite terms, that the benefits to the people of St. Charles Parish outweigh any negative impact to our communities. I believe that our residents, the Parish Council and I stand united in this position.

In closing, I must inform the airport officials that communities other than Oakland and Fairfield are affected by the proposed expansion. They may choose to forget Ama, Destrehan, Preston Hollow and Willowdale, but you can rest assured that we in St. Charles will not.

Albert D. Laque

St. Charles Parish President