Pro-growth coalition to back runway extension at Lauderdale airport By Scott Wyman The South Florida Sun-Sentinel The forces waging war against the expansion of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport are about to get some foes of their own. A coalition of neighborhood associations, businesses, hotels and employee groups is forming to take up the cause of building a second major runway at the airport. The move comes after county commissioners backed off their eight-year commitment to the project this week and decided to explore other alternatives. Environmental activists and residents living south of the airport have battered the expansion plans for months with virtually no one speaking in favor of it. Organizers of the new pro-airport alliance said the turnaround in the airport's fortunes caught them by surprise, but are planning a full-scale fight to salvage the project. "The reason people haven't been out there fighting for this is everyone thought it was a done deal," said Fort Lauderdale businessman Randy Dunlap, who spearheaded the formation of the Friends of the Airport. "Who would have thought in their wildest dreams that the county would let this small group of people do what they've been doing?" The Friends of the Airport includes such groups as the Fort Lauderdale Council of Civic Associations and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Lodging & Hospitality Association. The AFL-CIO will likely join, and organizers plan to reach out to other business and neighborhood groups across the county over the coming days. Dunlap said organizers are concerned the commissioners made their decisions after hearing only one viewpoint. They will soon set the group's mission and are considering such steps as a public opinion survey to gauge the level of public support. Brenda Chalifour, an environmental activist helping lead the campaign against the expansion, said she welcomes the input . "Bring them to the table and let's figure it out, because pitting people against people isn't going to work," she said. The county has planned for eight years to extend the southern runway to 9,000 feet, about the same length as the current main runway. The number of travelers going through Fort Lauderdale is expected to double by 2015, and a second major runway will be needed to ease congestion. The Federal Aviation Administration will decide whether to allow the construction by the end of the year, but the commission's decision this week delays any work while alternatives are considered. Dozens of other options have been considered and ruled out over the past decade, including the construction of two parallel northern runways. The two runways would be far enough apart that they could be operated independently so planes could take off and land simultaneously. That would maximize the airport's use and could not be accomplished in other potential configurations. The Council of Civic Associations represents 39 homeowner and civic groups in Fort Lauderdale and decided to join the pro-airport group because neighborhoods to the north of the airport will face increased noise if nothing is done to relieve the pressure on the main runway. The civic association council and the other business and employee organizations also are concerned that any retreat on the expansion could harm the area's economy. A convenient airport with a wide availability of flights has been a cornerstone of Fort Lauderdale's tourism industry, not only for people staying at area hotels but for people taking cruises from Port Everglades. And the port and airport are critical if cargo trade is to become a key part of the economy. "To not accommodate the growth of the airport and seaport could cause a slowdown in the economy in Broward County," said Dan Reynolds, president of the Broward AFL-CIO. "You have to take into account environmental concerns and the neighbors it affects, but to say we can't expand the capacity is not a good thing." The stalled growth plans have also raised concern in the hospitality industry that travelers will be turned away and new markets left untapped. . The county has expanded the convention center and needs to be able to guarantee convenient and easy flights. In terms of leisure travelers, the untapped markets have been tourists from Europe and Latin America, but those areas have grown slowly because of the lack of international flights. A larger airport has carried the promise of more international flights to serve those markets. "We need to impress on the community and the general public that this is a necessity for the survival of Fort Lauderdale," said Bryan Morley, general manager of the recently expanded Riverside Hotel in downtown Fort Lauderdale. "Our competitors in South Florida will benefit greatly by us holding off." Other business groups said they are interested in joining the pro-airport coalition. Skeet Jernigan, president of the Community and Economic Development Council of South Florida, said he is dismayed by the business community's slow response to the airport opponents and sees the expansion as the major economic issue facing the county. Jose "Pepe" Lopez, president of the Latin Chamber of Commerce of Broward County, agreed. "Put me down as one of the fanatics," Lopez said. "The airport was there before everyone else, so I don't see what the problem is. This has been a political move by nearsighted people who don't care about our county's future." 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