Federal air visitors management officers on the Sonoma County airport have objected to the disputed set up of a 12,500-gallon jet gasoline tank 51 ft from the bottom of the airport’s management tower, newly obtained emails between tower and airport administration present.
The gasoline tank is the topic of a lawsuit from one of many airport’s key tenants, which claims airport officers are ignoring security requirements within the tank’s placement.
Airport officers proceed to take care of the challenge is protected, however emails obtained by The Press Democrat via a public data request present the Federal Aviation Administration’s air visitors management tower supervisor had raised considerations over the tank’s proximity to the tower and potential publicity to fumes.
The emails, which captured a dialogue that unfolded over a few week in early March, additionally revealed a scramble to handle the challenge’s expired FAA documentation.
Vine Jet, a hangar enterprise and airport tenant, is constructing the aboveground tank on leased property close to a busy taxiway and plane parking space. Vine Jet’s neighbor, Sonoma Jet Middle, has formally opposed the challenge and is suing to cease it.
Sonoma Jet Middle is an aviation providers enterprise and one of many airport’s fundamental operations companions. Proprietor Josh Hochberg claims in his lawsuit that the tank challenge violates quite a few minimal requirements on the airport and bypassed state environmental evaluate necessities. The lawsuit names Vine Jet as a “social gathering in curiosity.”
Hochberg mentioned he filed the go well with after his security considerations have been persistently ignored or downplayed.
The brand new emails present that months earlier than the lawsuit was filed, air visitors controllers at Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport additionally have been sounding the alarm over the tank challenge.
On March 2, 4 days after emailing Airport Supervisor Jon Stout to ask for extra details about the challenge, Alexander Arndt, the tower supervisor on the time, despatched one other e-mail informing him that there was “plenty of drama” over the challenge and requested Stout and different airport workers to pause the work.
“I perceive from a FAA facet we actually don’t have a lot say in it, however I’m asking as a favor if we will considerably pump the breaks on this till some considerations are addressed,” Arndt wrote.
In that e-mail Arndt, who has since taken one other place with the FAA, mentioned the challenge may compound current issues on the tower associated to air high quality.
“This tower doesn’t have good air filtration, the controllers already put up with exhaust scent from Vine Jet when their jets are positioned our means, if we’re including gasoline tanks is there going to be (publicity) to that scent as properly?” Arndt wrote.
He requested within the e-mail whether or not there was any “mind storming” over potential various areas for the gasoline farm when the challenge was “introduced up again in 2016.” Arndt supplied to fulfill with airport administration or focus on the difficulty with Vine Jet.
It was unclear if that assembly ever occurred.
Arndt, reached by Press Democrat reporters, declined to remark.
This week, county officers responding to questions raised by the e-mail correspondence defended the challenge anew, and mentioned objections raised by Arndt have been addressed.
“The considerations raised by Alex have been totally thought of by the county, and we consider this challenge is protected, compliant with relevant legal guidelines, and in step with different FAA approved actions on the airport,” Johannes Hoevertsz, director of the county’s Public Infrastructure Division, which oversees the airport, mentioned in an e-mail.
Hoevertsz mentioned he couldn’t remark additional in gentle of Sonoma Jet Middle’s lawsuit.
Nonetheless the considerations raised by the tower and air visitors controllers echo these raised by Hochberg, proprietor of Sonoma Jet Middle, over the potential security dangers of the gasoline tank’s location and the county’s dealing with of these considerations.
“Merely saying one thing’s protected doesn’t make it so,” Hochberg mentioned.
Gasoline Tank Lawsuit.pdf
Airport and county officers have additionally confronted alarm and criticism from airport workers over security considerations stemming from staffing ranges and deteriorating runway infrastructure. The Press Democrat detailed these points in a pair of investigations printed in January and April.
Airport officers have persistently pushed again, noting operations met federal security requirements and tips.
Vine Jet CEO Phil Gattuso couldn’t be instantly reached for remark.
Arndt’s March 2 e-mail prompted a flurry of subsequent emails between Stout and Airport Property Specialist Lori Schandel during which they mentioned an expired FAA discovering.
In a letter dated March 3, 2017 the FAA had notified the airport that the gasoline tank challenge complied with relevant navigable airspace requirements, together with the results the challenge would have on the protection of individuals and property on the bottom.
However the FAA’s willpower expired Sept. 3, 2018.
“As we mentioned, the willpower letter has expired,” Schandel wrote to Stout at 9:42 a.m. on March 5. “I want to talk to Alex that the development was delayed by circumstances past Vine Jet’s management and the (FAA willpower) needs to be thought of legitimate, however I don’t assume it will be heard.”
Schandel despatched the e-mail quarter-hour after Arndt requested the challenge documentation, together with the willpower letter.
Stout, in a subsequent e-mail, directed Schandel to inform Vine Jet they would wish to both get a brand new willpower from the FAA or search an extension and to offer Arndt “what we’ve.”
Over the subsequent a number of hours Schandel sought to handle Arndt’s considerations and questions in regards to the challenge, however ultimately acknowledged Arndt’s frustration in an e-mail she wrote to Stout at 1:20 p.m. the identical day.
“Alex referred to as me,” Schandel wrote. “He’s submitting complaints with FAA and the ADO. He mentioned he was blind-sighted (sic) by the challenge and goes to do all the pieces he can to cease it.”
On Wednesday, the FAA in an e-mail mentioned it was “not conscious of a proper grievance being filed relating to the gasoline tank challenge.”
Vine Jet acquired a brand new FAA willpower on June 5 with a Dec. 5, 2025 expiration date.
Groundbreaking on the challenge was in early June and building is ongoing after Sonoma Jet Middle’s courtroom request for a brief injunction instantly halting the challenge was denied.
You may attain Employees Author Emma Murphy at 707-521-5228 or [email protected]. On Twitter @MurphReports.
You may attain Employees Author Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or [email protected]. On Twitter @pressreno.
