Mayport to get nuclear carrier

[BridgeTroll]

Cecil was the master jet base and the Navy looked at bringing the jets back during the last round of the BRAC.  We had massive debates here during that period.  Imo, it was always a stretch to claim the city would have the ability to see more economic success at some point in the distance future than opening the master jet base back up.  Our leaders can't even get a courthouse out of the ground or Friendship Fountain fixed.  Its all done now and we must move on but sometimes I sit back and think about how different our local economy would be if we had an influx of 30,000 new residents.

Thanks for the response. I really don't understand what our city leaders are thinking most of the time. I really wish they were more driven. There's so much possibility in this city, but sometimes I feel the city leadership doesn't see it. With the only exception being the port, which has grown tremendesly since Peyton took office.

Part of what they were thinking was the residential and retail that was going to happen following closure.  Oakleaf towncenter and the various oakleaf developments would not have been possible with F-18s doing touch and gos around the clock...

[thelakelander]

Yes, I remember that argument.  I had problems with it at the time because everything they said that was not possible had already been constructed next to Virginia Beach's Oceana.  Including a mall that makes Oakleaf Town Center look like a 1980s strip center.  In the grand scheme of things it was as if we never attempted to do full research on the pros and cons of either option.  Both sides drew their lines in the sand ran with it.

Nevertheless, to this day I still have a problem with allowing track home subdivisions like Oakleaf to be built so close to Cecil's 12,000ft runways.  The residents that did not want F-18s flying around will also fight heavy jet traffic that a true aviation center generates (imagine if something like a UPS or FedEx freight hub came in and flew cargo jets around the clock).  Just look at the fight around Craig and Whitehouse's runways.  Btw, Whitehouse will still have F-18s doing touch and gos, they'll just be based out of Oceana.  In any event, even without the Navy going back to Cecil, we should still do everything we can to protect the airport as a heavy manufacturing and industrial asset.

[Tripoli1711]

Agree 10000% Lake.  Plus.... what will they make of it when Cecil becomes Florida's first space tourism port.  Oh that was never discussed again?  Nevermind.

[fatcat]

as always about a problematic corporation, i say: change the management. How long has our current mayor being in office? The President has term limits. Why not the mayor?

[Jason]

He has term limits, however, was re-elected for a second term.

[ProjectMaximus]

Cecil was the master jet base and the Navy looked at bringing the jets back during the last round of the BRAC.  We had massive debates here during that period.  Imo, it was always a stretch to claim the city would have the ability to see more economic success at some point in the distance future than opening the master jet base back up.  Our leaders can't even get a courthouse out of the ground or Friendship Fountain fixed.  Its all done now and we must move on but sometimes I sit back and think about how different our local economy would be if we had an influx of 30,000 new residents.

Thanks for the response. I really don't understand what our city leaders are thinking most of the time. I really wish they were more driven. There's so much possibility in this city, but sometimes I feel the city leadership doesn't see it. With the only exception being the port, which has grown tremendesly since Peyton took office.

Wasn't the jet base issue put up for a public vote? Was that not the decision of the majority rather than the leaders in office? I'm seriously asking cause im not sure, but that's what I seem to recall.

[jandar]

It was voted by citizens of Duval County. Clay residents had no say.

All of the construction that was going on was created when Cecil was no longer a jet base and the restrictions around building were lowered due to the fact the a jet base it no longer was.

Had the crash zones never been lowered/removed after the base shut down, no one would have a legal leg to stand on.


As it was, I was one who pushed people to vote no, as my house in Clay County (built in 2003, long after Cecil closed) was in an area in which I would have had to retro my house with additional sound insulation to allow my son to sleep at night. (to the tune of 50K plus)


Its the same issue that happened in Arlington with allowing houses to be built to close to Craig to allow expansion.

[thelakelander]

Yes, it was put up to a vote and the majority voted against bringing the Navy back.  It, like the Arlington situation is a perfect example of the effects of poor planning at a public level.  By the way, westside residents really put a nice grassroots campaign together for the right to live next to a quiet airport.

[Lunican]

http://www.youtube.com/v/BOyfLtkx6vA

[MattnJax]

Thanks for the video Lunican. Wonder what the vote would be if it were today. What with us getting a new Carrier and with the economic crisis.

[ProjectMaximus]

Thanks for the vid, Lunican. So it was our leaders' faults, haha!! I don't like Delaney anymore...j/k

am I the only one who felt like I was watching one of SNL's fake commercials? I was just waiting for something ridiculous to happen and the crowd to start laughing.

[civil42806]

Thought I would add this to this string, Posted on  another and thought I would add it to this one.  Keep in mind when we say Cecil was a master jet base that only included the Light attack wing, so we were looking at F-18 a/b c/d, prior to that the A-7'. The A-6 and f-14 heavys Have always been in Oceana




"I have a home on the westside and I bought my a father in law a home closer to cecil than I am, so I guess I have a vested interest.  The closing of Cecil Field was a MAJOR error by the DOD, prior to closing the field they did have empty hangars, but there was almost no encrochment by development. In fact I can remember some very vigourous arguments between the city council and groups that wanted to build in the crash zones.  The city council was always supportive of the Navy.  But by the time the vote came around that had all changed. The base had been dismantled, there was nothing there other than the hangars, which by the way had been upgraded by private money.  All the supporting structure had been destroyed, the enlisted housing was demolished, no commisary, no hospital.  My objection was since we had a major dod drawdown, there had to be a better base to locate too.  Payton improper proposal as to how much development had grown around cecil implied a intent to decieve, that helped the westside to organize an effective group to oppose the reopening.  There will be no UPS or FEDEX hub at cecil, but there could be an effective overhaul refit and manufacture facility there that will draw no objections to the locals.  We aren't talking about 14 squadorns of f-18e/f's operating 18 hours a day.  Anyone that worked at the old Cecil field can attest how noisy 7 to 9 in the morning was"

[jandar]

And in other news, the lawsuits should soon start up.

www.wokv.com

Smiling from ear to ear Monday morning, Senator Bill Nelson proclaimed the decision to send a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Mayport "a done deal." But now Virginia's highest ranking lawmakers are blasting the decision and vowing to fight the Navy recommendation.

"We have deep concerns...with the announced preference to create a second East Coast homeport for a nuclear powered carrier in Mayport, Fla," Senators Jim Webb (D) and John Warner (R) said in a joint-statement this week. "This decision is not suported by economic logic or strategic necessity."

The statement cites the $500 billion pricetag associated with moving a nuclear-powered carrier to the First Coast. Most of that covers ambitious construction projects, including dredging of the harbor and major wharf upgrades to support such a massive warship.

"The Navy should first address existing budget shortfalls for its people, shipbuilding, aircraft and installations," the statement says.

Navy brass say homeporting one aircraft carrier to Mayport makes strategic sense. They say keeping the entire Atlantic fleet in one location is risky, given the consequences that played out during the Pear Harbor attack on December 7, 1941.

Norfolk city leaders say losing an aircraft carrier will cost the community 5,000 jobs and as much as a billion dollars a year to the local economy.

Senators Warner and Webb will join Governor Tim Kaine today to fire the first shots in what could be a lengthy fight to keep all the Navy's Atlantic-based aircraft carriers in Norfolk. The lawmakers are calling for Navy Secretary Donald Winter to hold off on a decision until his successor takes office next year.

"It would be disrespectful not to give the next administration, taking office in 2009, an opportunity to voice it's views," Webb said on his Senate website.

We have way more leg to stand on with Mayport and Carriers (all eggs in one basket argument).
Imaging the lengthy lawsuits from a jet base relocation.

[thelakelander]

They would be lengthy but it would be hard to make a case that they would not be solved before Cecil becomes the mecca of private sector economic prosperity that was touted during the Cecil Field debates.  That dream is never going to happen if the city continues to allow residential development closer to Cecil's runways and industrial uses. 

Btw, how is Norfolk losing an aircraft carrier?  The thing is not in service yet is it?

[Bostech]

This is great news,I should get some capital and open strip bar in Mayport in next 3 years.