HOW DO YOU GET TO THE ST CLAIR MALL?

Just go west on 44 and turn right on 47 and just go down a bit towards Union and turn right on Airport road.   This is a picture of it.  

 

Such a development will be “anchored” by one or more large volume retail businesses, sometimes colloquially referred to as “big-box” retailers or other high-quality regional scale retailer(s) who may not be currently located within the region.      And after ten long years whatayougot.

THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER

The following is from the airport fact book, on the City of St. Clair website. 

“The airport provided, at best, limited value when it was built, currently provides absolutely no value, and has no credible indications of being of particular value at any point in the future other than being an additional and unnecessary place to land – for small, single-engine personal pleasure aircraft.”

The only value the airport has is a place to land – for small, single-engine personal pleasure aircraft.  This statement seems to make a point that small, single-engine personal pleasure aircraft are of little or no value, and the word pleasure was used to intensify that opinion.  Personal pleasure aircraft, it appears, are not a relevant and unimportant object of the airport situation, and therefore should not be considered a relevant industry.    (Keep in mind here this is from an individual with no aviation experience.)   

Let’s look at three words “personal pleasure aircraft”.  Now, let’s look at three similar words “personal pleasure boat”.  What would the value of the Lake of the Ozarks be if there was no water in it?  What value is there in the water of the lake?  What is the value of the PERSONAL PLEASURE BOATING at the Lake of the Ozarks? Must not be much, they are just for pleasure. 

If the value of personal pleasure aircraft is so miniscule how does a private airport like Creve Coeur come into the picture.  Yes Private, what is the economic value of Creve Coeur airport?  It can’t be much; it is mostly private personal pleasure aircraft.  Creve Coeur Airport is the base for many homebuilt aircraft, and what could that possibly account for?  Just the home built aircraft industry, people building a small, single engine airplane for personal pleasure in their garage or basement, is a 1.3 billion dollar a year industry. 

JUST A NOTE HERE

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The two following paragraphs are posted here for comparison.  Paragraph 1 is taken from the redevelopment plan for the city, and paragraph 2 is taken from the airport fact book, which is published on the city website. 

1:       

Second, the airport constitutes an economic liability to the City from an operational standpoint in that the airport underperforms financially. According to City records, from 2004 through 2007, the City’s expenditures on the airport exceeded airport revenues, resulting in four straight years of losses, requiring airport operations to be subsidized from the City’s general fund. In late 2007, the City terminated all services at the airport. Only then in 2008 was the airport able to generate enough revenue to cover its own basic operational expenses. Currently, the airport is of limited use and utility. No fuel or

other goods are provided. Not even restrooms are available.

2:

The City of St. Clair, MO requests release from all federal obligations related to the

St. Clair Regional Airport precisely because the airport has never, in its history, provided any positive impact on the economic well-being of St. Clair, and little if any positive impact of any kind. The airport provided, at best, limited value when it was built, currently provides absolutely no value, and has no credible indications of being of particular value at any point in the future other than being an additional and unnecessary place to land – for small, single-engine personal pleasure aircraft.

What is important to understand here, is that the period from 04 to 07 was used to show a loss for the airport. If the years from 2002 through 2008 were included, the airport would show a profit. 

Paragraph two is unique.  It has the appearance of a rant.  The style and context of this paragraph is what attracted a major St. Louis newspaper to do a story about the airport. 

The first sentence of paragraph 2 proves a complete mis-understanding of the relationship of an airport and its sponsor.  The purpose of a sponsor is to insure the positive economic impact of the airport to the aviation public, not the sponsor.  The statement “The airport provided, at best, limited value when it was built” is also the opinion of a nonaviation individual.  Thousands and thousands of members of the aviation public obtained their pilots license at this airport and it has provided an enormous value to the aviation public. 

There is a major point that needs to be observed here, and that is the difference between what the city has stated and the actions of the city.  It is clear that the city has intentionally and purposely managed the airport to bring it to the condition as described in the airport fact book for the purpose of closing it.   

SOME THOUGHTS ON THE PAST

Going over some old notes and this phrase always struck a little nerve.  This is from an alderman trying to make the airport tenants appear to be some really badass people.   It is not stated directly but in the heat of the moment and the position of the alderman, it is easy to get a take on this that the alderman thinks the tenants have almost committed a crime against humanity. 

I do not know how you guys or anybody can file complaints at a federal level that destroys a community, but that is what has happened. To our City I apologize, I do not know what else to do; our hands are tied because of a small group of hobbyists. Administrator Childers stated the hangar rent issues needs to be resolved and in order to do that he needs a motion from the board to change the rates, if they so choose.

The city broke the law and they got caught, plain and simple.  The alderman should apologize for what they did.  They should apologize for the incompetency they displayed in the management of this airport that was donated to the city for the benefit of and paid for by the aviation public.   This issue started in 2008; it took the city five years to rectify this situation.   

The alderman refers to the complaint that destroys the community.  The actions of the city council destroyed the community, their actions warranted the complaint.  What is so hard to understand is that they thought they were justified.   It displays a complete disregard for the law by a municipal government that is very disturbing. 

BEFOR AND AFTER

Just going over a few things and decided to post some pictures of the airport back in the day before politicians got involved, and what it looks like now.  Notice there are aircraft everywhere.

After the politics, not so much.

This post is a comment moved from the post  RECORD KEEPING.

Just goes to show that Mo-Dot and the FAA have no intention of compliance to 5190.6b. 

If they educated the sponsors and helped them to comply, airports around the state would be thriving. It would be like taking a person off of the street and saying here's an airplane go figure out how to fly it and just do whatever you want.

Pilots and mechanics on the other hand are required to take an enormous amount of training and stay current with that training. The rule book is 3" thick and we are required to know every rule that pertains to the type of license we have. Safety is our number one concern. We play by the rules of the FAA for a reason, to stay alive and fly another day. We self comply to these rules because we have respect and integrity.

So is it the sponsors fault that the states airports are in shambles or is it Modot and the FAA for not doing their job as they do with pilots and mechanics?

The city of St Clair screams that the airport is loosing money but is the city collecting rent on the new subdivision that is using airport road (federal property) for its entrance? Free rent would be great anywhere. No where to be found in the record keeping. Is the city paying fair market value for the lift station? How much is it receiving for the cell phone towers in town? Really? how many low profile billboards could be erected in the safe zone along 44 at how much a month? $21,000 a year in hangar rent. Maybe they should open a bank with all the extra money they would bring in instead of closing the airport.

The only expenses are lights(with now some missing), grass cutting, snow plowing and some admin expenses. What is the real cost of the insurance?

Is it too much to ask that Mo-Dot, the FAA and the City of St Clair all just do their jobs, then make a decision to close the airport?