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Cooperative Negotiating Gets Airpark by Jerry Handlon, CLP In a cooperative effort with unusual goals and requiring substantial fund-raising, the Schaumburg Park District and the Village of Schaumburg will become co-owners of a 104-acre airport. While many cooperative ventures between such taxing bodies involve obtaining the use of schools for programming purposes, the Schaumburg Park District has taken the exercise a number of steps further, hoping to make recreational use of previously unused open space and also to strengthen the job market in the Schaumburg area. The park district programming possibilities for the current Schaumburg Airpark include creation of soccer and other athletic fields. At the outset, the Village of Schaumburg approached the Schaumburg Park District about sharing the expenses and the benefits of the venture. Technical studies were completed in 1991 and approved in January 1992. An environmental assessment was approved in June 1992, and a public hearing was held in August 1992. Public reaction was generally favorable, and negotiations with the current property owner are now in progress. In November 1992, the village and the park district applied for federal discretionary funds. Of the approximately $16 million price tag for the project, 90 percent should come from federal funding, five percent from the state, and five percent from local funding, split between the Village of Schaumburg and the Schaumburg Park District. The plan has already been designated a priority by the Illinois Department of Transportation, which distributes federal funding for such projects. The village and park district would provide equal representation on the Airport Commission. State officials have approved the plans to buy and renovate the private airport, determining that the project will have no significant effect on the surrounding area. The plan was reviewed by the Federal Aviation Administration, which agreed with the state's decision. The Schaumburg Airpark serves as a vital resource for the businesses and residences in Schaumburg and surrounding communities. As part of the Northeastern Illinois region, the privately owned airport has been part of one of the busiest aviation centers in the country. Approximately 150 aircraft are based at the airport. Local and itinerant flights combined totaled 95,836 take-offs and landings in 1989. The operations per based aircraft ratio is about 680 at Schaumburg, compared with the statewide average of 550. As a VFR airport with a 3,000 foot by 40 foot single runway, Schaumburg Airpark serves primarily small single engine and multi-engine piston aircraft. The village and the park district intend to maintain this function. The unique function of the Schaumburg Airpark now and in the future is to be a reliever for the larger reliever airports such as DuPage and Palwaukee. The preliminary Airport Layout Plan will ultimately serve to bring the privately owned facility into compliance with FAA criteria and to provide for orderly development of the airport. With thriving commercial and retail development in the area, including one of the world's largest enclosed shopping malls, the maintenance and steady improvement of the Schaumburg Airpark will guarantee efficient service in an already undersized regional aviation network. Through the cooperative efforts of the Schaumburg Park District and the Village of Schaumburg, a vital element in the business structure of the area will be guaranteed. About the Author Jerry Handlon, CLP, is the Director of the Schaumburg Park District.
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