As Gwinnett County officials consider privatizing Briscoe Field as a small airport serving small private aircraft, a citizen committee Tuesday delivered a surprising message: Don’t bother.
By a 5-4 vote, the committee studying the Lawrenceville airport’s fate recommended Gwinnett either continue to operate Briscoe itself or, if it privatizes the airport, to bring in commercial flights. A majority felt privatizing it as a general aviation airport didn’t make sense because the county staff already does an excellent job running it.
The majority also recommended commissioners seek environmental and economic impact studies to help them make the decision.
“Those are the two most crucial things they need to do before they give anybody a contract,” said committee member Terry Britt. He said the committee doesn’t have the resources to undertake those studies.
The committee’s divided vote – which comes about six weeks before it was scheduled to make recommendations – underscores that its members are just as conflicted about Briscoe Field’s fate as the rest of Gwinnett. Its recommendation quickly drew criticism from nearby residents opposed to commercial flights.
“You’ve let down the citizens of Gwinnett County,” Lawrence Yates of Lawrenceville told the committee.
The vote is the latest twist in a debate that has roiled Gwinnett County politics for two years.
Gwinnett officials have discussed selling or leasing the airport, which currently serves small planes and corporate jets. One firm’s proposal to bring commercial passenger service to Briscoe Field has dominated the debate.
Proponents say commercial flights would create jobs and provide another option for flyers hoping to avoid Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Opponents say such flights would increase noise and adversely affect property values in nearby neighborhoods.
The county Board of Commissioners recently voted to set aside for now the debate about commercial flights and seek proposals from companies interested in operating Briscoe much as it is now. But commissioners left open the possibility of bringing in commercial flights in the future.
“I’m disappointed,” said Lawrenceville City Councilman Tony Powell, a committee member. “There’s too many questions left on the table.”
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