GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The feasibility study examining the need and plausibility of a new airport in Green Cove Springs is moving forward, and is anticipated to be concluded within the next six months.

The planning advisory committee met on March 15 to discuss the possibility of the airport, dubbed the Reynolds Airpark, which would be located near the Clay County Port.

The committee is made up of representatives from the city of Green Cove Springs, Clay County officials, the Florida Department of Transportation, local business owners and Jacksonville-based consulting firm Passero Associates, which is conducting the study itself.

“There’s a lot of things we don’t understand, so we’re really starting from ground zero from that perspective,” said Ted McGowan, executive director for Clay County Port. “Aside from this, we’re going to do a cost feasibility, and an opportunity feasibility with the economic side of it, so we can make decisions based on that.”

Rumors and misconceptions were among the first items discussed by Andrew Holesko, vice president and national director of aviation services for Passero. Primarily, Holesko made it clear that the airport would not provide commercial air service.

“Nobody at any point has ever proposed commercial air service in Green Cove Springs,” said Holesko. “No airline service, no American Airlines, or anything like that. That almost can’t happen in Green Cove Springs for a lot of procedural reasons.”

The study, which is being privately funded by the Clay County Port, is examining the feasibility of an airpark for private plane owners. Holesko also noted that, while a feasibility study is not necessarily required for planning the airport, the Port and Green Cove Springs are still doing one in an effort to follow FAA guidelines for airport planning.

Referencing past studies regarding establishing an airport in the region, several of which have taken place since the 1970’s, Holesko said that there has never been a study that found a need for a new commercial airport in Northeast Florida. However, when looking at other private airparks in the area, a primary concern was the waiting list to rent hangars to private plane owners in places such as St. Augustine and Fernandina Beach. St. Augustine’s waiting list is around 160, while Fernandina’s list is in the 60’s, according to Holesko.

“If you want a hangar in those facilities, you are waiting years to get it,” said Holesko.

Holesko said there are 220 Clay County residents who own airplanes, but their planes could be anywhere from Palatka to Denver, Colorado.

“People move across county lines, they don’t care where the county line is. They only care where the most cost effective, close airport is,” said Holesko. “So, if you live in Clay County, and the nearest airport is in the neighboring county, you go and base your aircraft there. We have a lot of based aircraft owners that live in Clay County, but their plane is not in Clay County, it’s somewhere else.”

As the study moves forward, it will also analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the various methods of ownership for the airpark. Currently, four options are on the table – the airpark remains privately owned (via the Clay County Port), owned by the city of Green Cove Springs, owned by the county, or create a separate airport authority (which would have to be authorized by the state government.)

Mayor Mitch Timberlake, who is one representative for Green Cove Springs on the new panel, said one of his concerns were residents who live in the area.

“What I hear from the people who live over here, is they’re not really interested in a high volume of aircraft going over their homes,” Timberlake said. “They bought them with the understanding that [there wouldn’t be].”

Timberlake also expressed concern over how the airport would affect plans currently in place for the port.

“The plans that they’ve shared up until this point [said] that this entire waterfront would be docks for boats, restaurants, and high-end housing,” said Timberlake. “If you start running an airport on the other side, how will it impact that?”

However, Timberlake, as well as a number of other committee members, made it clear that it was too early to make any conclusions about the airport.

The next PAC meeting is tentatively scheduled to meet in June, when the study will have more concrete information to consider.