Arrowhead Airpark’s identifier is MU46.
But you shouldn’t land there yet.
The runway hasn’t been built.
But if developer Craig Wilcox prevails, his 150-plus-acre parcel near Belton, Missouri, will one day become a 3,000-foot paved runway with a 94-home airpark development.
As of late February 2024, his plans were being held up by the Cass County Planning Board.
The residential development needs a special use permit for an underground private sewer septic system.
And that’s likely not the only permit Wilcox will need on this parcel currently zoned agricultural.
Such permits are typically subject to public meetings and/or notices.
As you might expect, neighbors aren’t terribly excited with the idea of the airpark in their neighborhood.
After all, they were there first.
That response rings a bell for me.
Neighbor Peggy Bruce told FOX4KC, her neighborhood is “very tranquil, very quiet, very family-oriented, and I see airplanes flying over as a real impediment to that, both from the noise pollution standpoint, to the health to our kids.”
I grew up on an airpark in the 1970s and 1980s. Looking back, my memory tells me it was quite tranquil. And, most days, quiet. Three of our neighbors had kids about the same age as me and we spent a lot of time together playing.
Another neighbor of the proposed airport, Greg Poremski, was even more direct: “I didn’t buy our house to live by an airport. That’s our major concern — why are we putting an airport out at 200th and Prospect.”
This statements strikes at the heart of the matter.
Greg was there first and doesn’t want an airport as a neighbor.
Arrowhead Airpark offers a great example why we should stop responding to airport complaints with: “But the airport was there first.”
As if being first makes it okay to do whatever we want.
We need a more nuanced response.
Airpark living, for pilots, is like golf course living for golfers or marina living for boaters. It is a wonderful lifestyle.
When non-pilots think of an airport, though, they’re thinking of Sea-Tac or Chicago O’Hare or Dallas-Fort Worth. Huge international airports with a steady stream of airline aircraft operating all day.
But that’s not reality for the majority of airparks. That’s not even reality for the majority of airports.
And that is a message we in the private aviation community need to add to our discussion points.
There are, of course, other talking points: Open space in areas of urban sprawl, businesses and jobs contributing to local economies, and staging areas in the event of natural disasters are but a few reasons airports are good things.
I do hope Wilcox is able to create Arrowhead Airpark — and, in the process, show neighbors the airpark and its occupants will add value to the greater community.
Even if Arrowhead Airpark wasn’t there first.
I want to voice environmental concerns. I am a GA Pilot, and always love to see airport and GA advancement. But, this airport seems like it will cause issues with the neighbours, and also environmentally. By looking at the zoning map, you see that a wetland will be filled during construction (Phase I). It also seems that forests will be chopped for the project (Phase III). So, I support the restoration of abandoned airfields, but not the harmful construction of this new one.
Great reasoning, Ben. The developer would be wise to form a group of GA pilots who are well versed in dealing with live-in airpark issues and use them to educate the neighbors and local community before the opposition becomes so great from misinformation that it is impossible to overcome.
We DO live in an airport community (FD51) down here in the FL Keys. No gates, a few good signs. Lots of good manners and a few rules like “no touch n goes”. We’re good and the neighbors are good, for the most part. We WERE here first (1960’s). I’ve also been to a lot of private air parks over the decades. It’s all about creating a good relationship with the neighbors. Town or area meetings to show what you would like to bring go a LONG way. . Many years ago I had a request to set up an acro box for an international competitor. Area invitations to meet and discuss were HUGE in the great success of our project. Box is still there 30 years later.
Is this the Terk Williams who was the FBO operator at the Skyhaven (6B1)(DAW) airport in Rochester, NH. If so, hello Terk. I was a CFI with the UNH Flying Club – Skyhaven Flying Club at the time.
On the downside;
I assume you’ve looked at the Arrowhead Airpark website.
I’m sure in a lot of locations, the gated communities with their extravagant homes, expensive toys…and of course, airplanes, further propagate the notion that all pilots and plane owners are rich snobs that enjoy a rather exclusive lifestyle.
Certainly not one attainable by local common folk that must now suffer the consequences of intrusive noise on their pedestrian lives.
Not that I wouldn’t live in one…if my wife had a better job.
Maybe don’t build the airpark?
Not sure why you would make such a broad statement. This is one case of the airport arrived after the population. The other scenario is completely different. Apples to oranges.
The primary problem is not the people that occasionally fly from A to B and return. It’s the ones that keep flying around in circles at A. Who also cause a lot of traffic pattern commotion at many airports. Those are also contrary to noise abatement since they’re always at pattern altitude and there’s not a lot you can do about prop noise. Utilizing remote practice areas may help resolve some the problem, since traffic at low use airports is more noticeable, unlike DFW or O’Hare.
Remote runways is exactly what’s needed in some circumstances. For basic day VFR training they wouldn’t need but the most basic infrastructure.
Looks a lot like our municipal airfield here in Wishek, population 950, but then nobody wants to live in North Dakota …
Looks like there’s an airfield there already? And American GA is far behind the rest of the ‘civilized world’ in aircraft noise abatement. We’ve only ourselves to blame for that.
Except that the rest of the “civilized world’s” idea of noise abatement is to make GA less accessible through ridiculous taxation, fees, and regulation. Ben makes a good point. Just saying “we were here first” isn’t always the best response. Maybe a restriction on flight training or touch and goes at the airpark would be a good step towards addressing the concerns of the neighbors.
Chris, it isn’t just intrusive airplane noise America is behind the rest of the ‘civilized world’ on. Obnoxiously loud pickup trucks, intentionally loud motorcycles and booming vehicle radios have become increasingly popular in most of our communities. Local ordinances and Law enforcement are having an extremely difficult time dealing with this growing trend. Unfortunately, this ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ mentality has taken over our social responsibility awareness making peace and quiet a thing of the past in many areas.