NAPLES, Fla. — The conversation regarding the future of the Naples Airport continues.
Many who use it want the airport to stay in it's current location.
Others, who live near it would love to see it go, they say, to quiet down their neighborhoods.
During the Board of County Commissioner's regularly scheduled meeting on August 27, members decided not to move forward with a workshop alongside the Naples Airport Authority in this process.
FOX 4 sat down with Naples City Councilor Beth Petrunoff for clarity on the topic after FOX 4 reached out to the commissioners for a comment. Commissioners told us they did not have time for a discussion on the topic.
In the meeting, commissioners said hosting that workshop would be premature and more research should be done first on the new potential sites.
"The airport being located where it is, was established when that was a grassy field," Petrunoff said.
It was established in Naples since 1942 and it started off small. As the area grows, more flights land and leave. Some people who live nearby have expressed concern to city and county representatives about noise and safety. Resident Joseph Migliara says he feels the airport has outgrown it's size.
"I think long-term, thinking about it [is important] and coming up with a practical solution to move the airport to a site that would accommodate the whole county, because right now it's beginning to operate as a regional airport. It's no longer a municipal airport," he said.
We have previously reported on those who are in favor of not moving the airport.
In an Airport Exploratory Study, a consulting firm hired by the city said relocating the Naples Airport would cost between $1 billion and $1.6 billion. Despite that hefty price tag, some still think it's worth it.
Petrunoff is one who believes the study and working relationship should continue.
"They're [County Commissioners] under a tremendous amount of pressure from the .1% of people who use the airport extensively and who have airport interest. They putting a tremendous amount of pressure on them not to move it at all," Petrunoff said.
