POCATELLO — The future of “Project Pipe” and the extensive infrastructure improvements to make it happen could be put in limbo if the Federal Aviation Administration forces the city to conduct a full environmental impact assessment.
“Project Pipe” is the codename for a manufacturing firm that wants to locate on property southwest of the airport terminal. The firm would employ about 80 people with an average annual wage of $38,500, according to information submitted to the Idaho Department of Commerce, which granted the project a $436,000, nine-year state tax incentive.
“It's all depending on the FAA,” said the city's planning and development director Lon Crowell about a possible delay after Thursday's City Council meeting.
Earlier, a split City Council had approved spending up to $3,858 to have T-O Engineers prepare the information for a categorical exclusion, known as a “CatX,” to address the environmental impacts of the proposed projects near the airport.
Councilman Jim Johnston asked if the FAA had the authority to force the city to go through that process.
Mayor Brian Blad said yes.
“It's written in the FAA rules,” Blad said, adding that since the FAA office, which oversees the Pocatello Airport, moved to Helena, Mont., from Seattle there has been close scrutiny of activities on property surrounding the airport.
“I'm reluctant to acquiesce to additional conditions,” Johnston said.
When a motion to move forward with the contract with T-O Engineers was made by councilman Steve Brown and seconded by council woman Eva Nye, Johnston and councilman Michael Orr voted no.
Crowell said he's hoping the FAA will approve the exemption and determine the improvement projects don't have any possibility of causing adverse environmental impacts. If it does so, Project Pipe improvements could move ahead in about two or three weeks. If instead, the FAA requires the city to prepare a full Environmental Impact Statement, it could take nine months or more.
Last November, the Pocatello Development Authority approved seeking a $6 million loan to tackle major infrastructure upgrades on the airport property. The planned project called for a new road, a railroad spur, additional electrical service and new water and sewer upgrades necessary for the new manufacturing operation.
The total commitment to the project actually exceeds $9 million with the expansion costs estimated at $6.67 million and city maintenance projects on existing infrastructure on the airport property estimated at $2.48 million.
(2) comments
The bigger question is where is the money for the expansion coming from? The city has lost a lot of financial clout and is running on a shoestring. How are they going to come up with the money for the infrastructure costs out there? The three and a half million more that is said to be required could easily turn into five or six million or more. They raised our taxes to the limit and they have exhausted other funds. Rumor is that they are going to try to redirect the money from the water bond that is designated for buying water rights. (There will be a fight if they try to do that)
Throw in the overspending on the animal shelter by up to a million and then the fact that they are building a multimillion-dollar connector at the same time and money doesn't seem to be a consideration. Where is all the money coming from? Progress is supposed to come at a price. I just hope it isn't bankruptcy.
Why blame the FAA? The City has known all along that nothing gets built near an airport without FAA involvement. The got caught trying to do an end run around Federal Law.
I fly out of that airport on occasion and I hope the FAA - if not the FAA and the City of Pocatello - would be concerned about my safety.
If "Project Pipe" s a concern to the FAA, what about the solar array the City has approved. I don't want my pilot blinded by the glare of sunlight reflected from thousands of polished mirror-like surfaces.
Around here, we have a new nickname for our City Government: The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight.
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