Gwinnett County wants to privatize Briscoe Field without launching commercial passenger service at the airport near Lawrenceville. But a New York firm that has pushed for more than two years to establish commercial flights there apparently hasn’t been deterred.
Propeller Investments was well represented Thursday at a short question-and-answer session for firms interested in operating the county airport.
While managing director Brett Smith didn’t say Propeller will definitely submit a specific proposal next month, he said that, if it does, it will make the proposal public so Gwinnett residents can judge it for themselves, and to address what he called misconceptions about the impact of commercial flights.
That proposal almost certainly would involve commercial flights. Smith said privatizing the airport without those flights “would not make financial sense.”
Thursday’s brief conference was the latest step in Gwinnett’s ongoing debate over whether to lease Briscoe Field to a private firm. County officials say privatizing the airport — which serves small private and corporate aircraft — could save Gwinnett money and spark economic development.
County officials never have endorsed commercial flights at Briscoe, but those flights have dominated the debate about the airport’s fate.
Propeller was one of three firms that expressed interest in operating the airport in 2010. The company said it wanted to launch up to 20 commercial flights a day on jets seating up to 140 passengers.
Proponents say commercial flights would create jobs and provide an alternative to Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Opponents — including many nearby residents — say the flights would lead to noise pollution and declining property values.
After months of debate, a divided Gwinnett County Commission in October decided to set aside talk of commercial flights. Instead, the commissioners voted to seek proposals from firms interested in operating Briscoe Field as it is now: a small general aviation airport.
Commissioners left open the possibility of commercial flights in the future, encouraging companies to include their long-range visions for the airport in their proposals.
The proposals are due Feb. 8. Thursday’s conference was a chance for interested firms to ask technical questions before submitting proposals. Several Propeller Investments representatives attended.
Only one other firm — Saker Aviation Services of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pa. — expressed interest in operating the airport at the conference. But it’s possible other firms are interested.
Several local residents also attended. “I can hear small jets flying over my house now and am very concerned about hearing more of them,” said Peggy Sisca of Lawrenceville.
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