Letter to the Editor: Woodridge Should Back Peotone Airport

Editor's note: Jesse Jackson Jr. , or the Abraham Lincoln National Airport Commission, in December. The commission will oversee the construction of an airport in Peotone, IL. The village board has not yet voted on the matter. This letter is in response to , advising to not back the airport. 

If the opening statement of is to discredit the Abraham Lincoln National Airport by showing the correct time of how long it takes to get to Woodridge from the airport site, then there’s very little fact to back up his argument.

ALNAC is represented by 21 home-rule communities from Cook, Will and Kankakee counties. It’s also supported by nearly the same amount of communities that are not home-rule. Let’s be clear. This isn’t Congressman Jackson's airport. It’s the people of the Southland's airport. And we support ALL of his efforts to do what's necessary to build it.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the Existing Conditions Report, which is a key milestone in the master planning process for the South Suburban Airport. The report marks the third major element of the airport's Master Plan to be approved by the FAA in 2011, the most for any one year. 

There is a different approval process for building an airport when you’re dealing with private developers. The FAA can expedite the approval process which can save a tremendous amount time.

According to a December 2005 opinion rendered by Attorney General Lisa, land can be rented by ALNAC from the State of Illinois and infrastructure costs will be paid for by revenues created from inside the footprint of .the Abraham Lincoln National Airport

Twenty-one communities from 3 counties support building the airport and their citizens have informed Congressman Jackson, their mayors and Governor Pat Quinn, they cannot wait any longer. This includes Monee, IL where Mr. Oschenfeld resides, passed a referendum two years ago supporting the construction of the airport.

Over 62% of Woodridge Patch readers believe we should build the airport, too. These aren’t politicians Mr. Oschenfeld, these are citizens.

Algernon H. Penn

Chairman

Friends of ALNAC

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