Taking a look at Cecil Field

[Metro Jacksonville]

Taking a look at Cecil Field

We're not going to tell you which way to vote or take an official position, but we will present you with visual information that hasn't been fully covered by the local media, Better Westside and Vote Jacksonville.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/244

[JJ]

Well done. I'm voting "no".

[Wolf Leonard]

Nicely done.  I hope you leave this site up.  Let me know if not, and I'll gladly host it.

[MattnJax]

Here's an older article I found dealing with Cecil Commerce Center and the possible return of the master jet base being we were discussing it in another article about Mayport getting another carrier. I find this little nugget about Oceana Master Jet Base in Virginia Beach interesting.

"Nearly a third of the city’s 439,467 residents now live in jet-noise zones that the Navy considers incompatible for housing developments"

I have a feeling Jacksonville, and especially people living around Cecil, might regret not allowing a naval master jet base, and the 30,000 people involved with it, back. Especially if the economy continues to worsen. Those local jobs and dollars are pretty much guarenteed and would have tremendously helped our local economy in these tough times. 

[civil42806]

Here's an older article I found dealing with Cecil Commerce Center and the possible return of the master jet base being we were discussing it in another article about Mayport getting another carrier. I find this little nugget about Oceana Master Jet Base in Virginia Beach interesting.

"Nearly a third of the city’s 439,467 residents now live in jet-noise zones that the Navy considers incompatible for housing developments"

I have a feeling Jacksonville, and especially people living around Cecil, might regret not allowing a naval master jet base, and the 30,000 people involved with it, back. Especially if the economy continues to worsen. Those local jobs and dollars are pretty much guarenteed and would have tremendously helped our local economy in these tough times. 

Boy do I disagree with this statement.  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

[thelakelander]

How do we know that there will never be a chance for an air freight hub at Cecil?  Given our location, projected port growth and the fact that it does have 12,000ft runways, it could be a possibility at some point in the future.

[CMG22]

I work at Cecil.  They're looking at major development in the coming years.

Check out:

http://www.jaa.aero/AirSys/CF.aspx both the Master Plan and the Development Plan;

and, for more on the latter, visit,

http://www.cecilcommerce.com/

[heights unknown]

I was stationed at NAS Cecil Field two or three times during my 20 year naval career.  I don't see what all the fuss is about regarding noise because back then, nobody complained about the noise...and don't tell me there is much more development out there now than there was in the 70's, 80's and 90's...there isn't that much more.

With the Navy sharing the land and wealth with the Commerce Center, many more jobs would be brought back to Jax in addition to increased development in and around the Commerce Center.  The noise would not be that bad, and there is not that much more increase in flight activity because of the Commerce Center and the Navy, in my opinion (from what I know and can see, there is not all that much jet/aircraft activity and noise at present that is comparable to what it was when the Navy was there).

Heights Unknown

[civil42806]

I was stationed at NAS Cecil Field two or three times during my 20 year naval career.  I don't see what all the fuss is about regarding noise because back then, nobody complained about the noise...and don't tell me there is much more development out there now than there was in the 70's, 80's and 90's...there isn't that much more.

With the Navy sharing the land and wealth with the Commerce Center, many more jobs would be brought back to Jax in addition to increased development in and around the Commerce Center.  The noise would not be that bad, and there is not that much more increase in flight activity because of the Commerce Center and the Navy, in my opinion (from what I know and can see, there is not all that much jet/aircraft activity and noise at present that is comparable to what it was when the Navy was there).

Heights Unknown

There is much more development that existed back in the 90's, you have the whole oakleaf plantation development, recommend you take  a drive out that way an check it out.  Plus you have to count in that it would not be the older F-18 a/b/c/d, but the new F-18 E/F which is similar to the F-14, big loud and powerful aircraft,

[thelakelander]

I can't help but wonder what could have been if we had worked as a community to find a viable solution instead of both sides drawing their line in the sand and fighting two years ago.  The influx of economic activity from the high number of jobs that would have been a great benefit.

Unemployment went up in nearly every sector in Jacksonville.

By Mark Basch, The Times-Union

Jacksonville's unemployment rate rose in October, with just about every sector of the local economy recording job losses over the past year.
 
The unemployment rate in the Jacksonville metropolitan area - consisting of Duval, Baker, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties - rose from 6.4 percent in September to 6.6 percent last month, the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation reported Friday.

The state labor agency also said that Jacksonville area employers have cut their payrolls by a net total of 9,300 jobs between October 2007 and October 2008, a 1.5 percent decline.

University of North Florida economist Paul Mason said the higher unemployment rate, along with other recent negative indicators, signals continued weakness.

"There's nothing at this point to suggest that it's going to reverse itself," he said.

full article: http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/112208/bus_358661945.shtml

Manufacturing jobs take a hit in Northeast Florida



By David Bauerlein, The Times-Union

The economic downturn is hitting the factory floor in Northeast Florida.

In the past month, five manufacturing companies have announced layoffs affecting 639 workers. The latest notice came this week from United States Gypsum for its Jacksonville plant.

full article: http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/112208/bus_358661957.shtml

[reednavy]

How about we just launch new space shuttles from Cecil Field just to piss off everyone. Sounds good to me, at least it'd draw tourists.

[CMG22]

People still do complain about the noise--a lot. I take their phone calls.  Engine work is done at Cecil, and you have 727 and 757s doing engine run-ups.  F-18s do so as well.  They are very loud, and audible for miles.  Development around Cecil was allowed to grow FAR too close to the airport.  They have built $300k homes well within the land underlying the traffic pattern of aircraft (not just the approach paths).  Then they call about airplanes, and think they can dictate how airplanes fly.  The sad part is that ATC does their best to keep them away from residences.

The houses are not visible, but the road is.  Check it out:  http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=300+Dawsons+Creek+Dr&sll=30.207547,-81.851513&sspn=0.009494,0.021093&ie=UTF8&ll=30.216578,-81.867886&spn=0.037974,0.084372&t=h&z=14

[urbanlibertarian]

The post office at CCC will probably be closing this summer.  The retail and PO Box operations would be consolidated into another post office in the area, perhaps Murray Hill.  USPS is conducting a public discussion meeting July 7 6pm at the West Regional library on Chaffee Rd.

[jandar]

USPS is slowly working to eliminate every office they can to save money.

I live in Clay County, have to drive 8 miles to pick up registered/signed mail at the post office my mail comes out of. Yet there is a post office 3 miles from me that does not serve my area.

They make no sense at all.

[Ocklawaha]

Funny, when I was at the Postal Service, we had a nut case executive come in to talk to all employees. He made his presentation on "PUSH - PROTECT and SELL" our bulk mail services. "Bulk Mail, postage paid business mail is our lifeblood... It represents 75% of our volume and a solid 25% of our income!" NO KIDDING! I got in a bit of hot water when I blurted out, "Something is WRONG with your math!"

LOL!

Seems to me legal, signature and flat rate parcel services would be the salvation if they'd abandon the Hub and Spokes model, and the models that say an office is successful according to how much volume it generates daily. Never mind the customer, customer service, satisfaction, playing nice etc... just MOVE, MOVE, MOVE, the mountain.At the end of the year the Supervisor with the highest mountain wins!

OCKLAWAHA