Huge pricetags for site work and buyouts of surrounding properties. Public opposition to increased noise and activity. Conflicts with existing airspace corridors over North Georgia.
In a nutshell, those are the obstacles standing between Atlanta and a second commercial airport. And they are big obstacles, according to a recent federally funded study of potential sites.
It examined 29 candidates, narrowed them to eight finalists spanning the metro area’s northern arc -- and deemed none of them feasible. Estimated development costs topped $2 billion for seven of the eight.
The Federal Aviation Administration drove the study, which was managed by Hartsfield-Jackson and conducted by consulting firm HNTB Corp. It covered a 60-mile radius from Atlanta and assumed the airport would need a 1,400-acre footprint and a 9,000-foot runway.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained a full copy of the Atlanta Metropolitan Aviation Capacity Study through an open records request. Here are the findings on the eight finalist sites.
Gwinnett County Airport — Briscoe Field
Commercial service raises moderate issues with noise or other environmental factors, the study said. Some residential and commercial properties would have to be purchased. Some local roads, a railroad track and two churches would also be affected by noise. The airport is in the northeast arrival corridor for Hartsfield-Jackson, posing issues that would require a redesign of the airspace. Total price tag: $2.2 billion. Meanwhile, a separate effort is underway to privatize the Gwinnett airport, which could lead to commercial flights. Propeller Investments managing director Brett Smith has said his firm’s plans include a shorter runway than the study assumed, as well as significantly lower costs, and would be less disruptive to the community.
Dobbins Air Reserve Base
Dobbins has the worst airspace issues of the eight locations, because of its location relative to Hartsfield-Jackson and to other satellite airports, along with the potential mix of military operations with commercial flights. Nearby residents, schools, churches, cemeteries and parks face significant noise issues, and some homes and commercial properties would have to be purchased. This site would be the least expensive to develop, however, in part because it already has a runway suitable for an airline. Dobbins’s market potential is among the best and its development cost is the lowest. Total price tag: $1.4 billion.
Cobb County Airport
Nearby residents would be affected by noise, about 100 commercial properties would have to be purchased and I-75, Route 3 and a railroad track would all be affected. Cobb County was among the sites with the greatest market potential, however. Total price tag: $2.6 billion.
Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport
The city of Atlanta has owned about 10,000 acres of land in Paulding County since 1975 as part of its consideration of a second airport. It sold 162 acres back to Paulding in 2007 to accommodate the new airport’s runway and buffer zone. Commercialization of this airport, which opened in 2008, would affect some residents with noise and would require buyouts of some homes and businesses. US 278 would have to be relocated. Due to terrain issues, site preparation would cost $856 million. Building access roads would be costly, and the runway layout and location create significant airspace issues with Hartsfield-Jackson. Total price tag: $2.8 billion.
Dawson/Forsyth site
The city of Atlanta has owned a site in Dawson County, about 55 miles north of downtown Atlanta, since the early 1970s as part of its consideration of a second airport, so it comes with no land acquisition costs. But the off-airport costs, which include building access roads, are estimated at $386 million. It has moderate market potential. Total price tag: $2.3 billion.
Cherokee County Airport
Some homes and commercial properties would have to be bought, noise would affect some residents and I-575 would need to be relocated. Earthwork and site preparation would cost $883 million. This site posed moderate airspace issues, the study said. Total price tag: $2.5 billion.
Cartersville Airport
About 340 residential properties would have to be purchased, and others would be affected by aviation noise. Local roadways and a railroad track would be affected, as would the Etowah River and the Etowah River Valley Historic District. Earthwork and site preparation would cost $1 billion, and costs for access roads would be high. The airport’s north-south runway orientation also “provides some challenges,” the study said. Total price tag: $2.9 billion.
Barrow County Airport
Commercializing this airport 55 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta would require the purchase of about 210 residences and some business properties, and others would be affected by noise. Some churches would also be affected. The airport is in Hartsfield-Jackson’s northeast arrival corridor, and its runway orientation would make airspace redesign “challenging,” according to the study. Total price tag: $2.2 billion.
Below are the remaining 21 sites that were disqualified due to issues with accessibility, site development, airspace, market strength or proximity to Hartsfield-Jackson:
Jackson County
Polk County — Cornelius Moore Field
Clayton County — Tara Field
Madison Municipal
Roosevelt Memorial near Warm Springs
Griffin-Spalding County
Covington Municipal
Newnan-Coweta County
West Georgia Regional in Carrollton
Tom B. David Field in Calhoun
Monroe-Walton County
Peachtree City — Falcon Field
Fulton County Airport — Brown Field
Lee Gilmer Memorial in Gainesville
Pickens County
Thomaston — Upson County
DeKalb Peachtree
Jackson County
Lamar/Monroe
Athens — Ben Epps
Middle Georgia Regional in Macon
