Plans to extend a runway at Anoka County-Blaine Airport on hold

Citing economic considerations, Key Air, the operator of the Anoka County-Blaine Airport, has withdrawn its latest bid for a controversial 1,000-foot extension to the airport's east-west runway.

Cities ringing the airport in south Blaine, fearing that the extension would be a precursor to a change in status for the minor reliever airport, had mobilized in opposition to the concept, when it came before the Anoka County Board last fall, and now, when it reappeared as a study request to the Metropolitan Airports Commission.

In late November, amid a growing public outcry, county officials abruptly canceled a public forum in which airport and county personnel were to field concerns about extending the runway from 5,000 to 6,000 feet. Recently, Brad Kost, Key Air president and CEO, called Gary Schmidt, the MAC's director of reliever airports, to withdraw the study request.

"We were working to get additional information from them," said MAC spokesman Patrick Hogan. "Their initial submittal didn't provide a strong argument for why they needed the additional length."

Kost was traveling Thursday and was unavailable for comment. A MAC statement said, "Key Air indicated that, given the current business climate, this was probably not the time to invest in expansion of the runway."

The Anoka County-Blaine Airport was built to handle mostly corporate and private jets. The east-west runway was extended from 4,000 to 5,000 feet in 2006.

Hogan and others emphasized that the extension was never meant to facilitate full-size passenger and cargo jets. But many folks who live in the flight path mobilized against the extension, citing safety and noise concerns.

The cities of Mounds View and a handful of other north metro cities all had passed similar resolutions.

Tom Riley, a Blaine resident who has been active in Concerned Citizens of the North Metro, which had led opposition to the runway extension, called the announcement "wonderful news." But he and others agreed that the discussion probably isn't over.

Idea still alive

"We're going to continue to watch this in the event there's a change of mind [about] other attempts to increase the length of the runway," he said. "We'll still be watching the MAC and Key Air. I'm still guarded that something could come up in the future, but I'm glad to hear that the Key Air did withdraw."

Economic development issue

Jon Olson, division manager of public services for Anoka County, was one of a handful of people who worried that the proposal was sunk -- for now -- by misinformation and fear. A 1,000-foot extension would not allow for 737s or huge cargo planes, and a change to intermediate status would require an 8,000-foot runway and a lot more alterations.

"When we entered into an agreement with Key Air, we understood that their target group was business aircraft, and that's why Anoka County was interested in the project, to attract new and possible business people to Anoka County," he said. "That's still the goal of Anoka County, economic development, jobs and growth for our area. Does this withdrawal of the request change our goals? I don't think so."

Hollis Cavner, tournament director for the 3M Championship, lives in Blaine, near the end of the runway. He took his concerns directly to Key Air. What he learned didn't mesh with the rumors, which he blames for the demise of the extension. He said the expansion could have brought jobs and business to the region.

"I live at the end of the runway; if anybody was going to be hurt I was going to be hurt," he said. "But I have a feeling a lot of this was driven by [rumors], which is a shame."