Dear Neighbor,

On October 11, 2001, the Witham Airport Action Majority (WAAM) and the Concerned Citizens Coalition (CCC) filed a lawsuit against the Martin County Board of County Commissioners for unlawful actions related to the Airport Master Plan.

We made major efforts to resolve airport problems. We sought to reduce noise, airport flight activity and curtail airport expansion plans. But, our County Commissioners have refused to discuss and resolve these matters and have forged ahead with their airport expansion plans.

We contend the Martin County Commission violated the law by accepting a flawed Airport Master Plan that is in violation of the County Comprehensive Growth Management Plan (Comp. Plan). We also contend that the Commission violated State law by excluding the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) from its legislative function in airport planning. Also, WAAM has been unsuccessful in working with Martin County to resolve airport noise. The 11-point agreement negotiated with Friends of Witham did not result in noise reduction and major portions of that agreement were violated by the Commissioners at the July 24 commission meeting. At the same July 24 session, all five Commissioners threw out more than a year of intensive work by the Planning Advisory Team (PAT) when they accepted the draft Witham Field Airport Master Plan, ignoring its lack of endorsement by a majority of the PAT.

We must now use legal means to put a stop to this! We expect this lawsuit to invalidate the existing Airport Master Plan and require the County and MPO to re-adopt a Master Plan which can result in substantially reducing both airport flight activity and airport noise. The lawsuit will also give the residents a voice in the planning process which to date has been denied to them.

Our attorney Tim Wright, a prominent litigator, will be introduced at our WAAM public meeting at Blake Library on November 26 - 6:30 p.m.

Your community thanks you for your generous support.