People in McKinney soon won鈥檛 have to travel as far to get to the airport 鈥� flights out of the city鈥檚 commercial airport are set to start in November after years of controversy over the airport鈥檚 expansion.
Here鈥檚 everything you need to know about McKinney National Airport.
Why does McKinney need an airport?
McKinney is located in Collin County, one of the fastest growing counties in the nation according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That鈥檚 a big reason McKinney Mayor Bill Cox recently said the region needs its own commercial airport.
鈥淭his new service reflects the demand for convenient air travel closer to home and reinforces McKinney鈥檚 position as a destination for residents, businesses, and investment,鈥� Cox said in a press release.
The 46,000 square-foot passenger terminal will have four gates and the option to add two more. The terminal will also have concessions, a parking lot with 980 spaces and a dedicated access road off FM 546. The added gates are designed to serve 200,000 passengers annually.
Supporters also point to an increase in local revenue from an increase in tourism, as well as new jobs. Having a commercial airport in McKinney will bolster the local economy, said Andrew Levy, the CEO of Avelo Airlines, the Houston-based airline that will be flying out of the McKinney airport.
鈥淭his investment will drive meaningful job creation and economic development, bringing well over 100 new jobs to the area,鈥� Levy said in a press release.
Community pushback
McKinney voters struck down two bond elections that would鈥檝e funded the airport expansion, including $200 million in bond funds for expanding the city鈥檚 regional airport for commercial use in 2023.
The city moved forward with the project using sales tax dollars and federal and state grant funding for the airport, including a $7 million grant from the Texas Department of Transportation.
Bridgette Wallis, who runs the told 四虎影院 in a previous interview the council is ignoring the will of the voters.
鈥淭wo bond elections now that have failed, and they went around and still did it anyway,鈥� Wallis said.
Voters rejected the funding mechanism for the airport expansion, not the expansion itself, former McKinney Mayor George Fuller said in a previous interview with 四虎影院.
鈥淲e listened,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e asked staff to find another way for us to develop commercial service and come up with a strategy that would allow us to mitigate risk by proposing dual-use improvements on the east side and funded by sales taxes, all with strong opportunity for federal and state reimbursements.鈥�
McKinney residents and businesses making purchases or paying for services 鈥� as well as nonresidents and businesses outside the city limits 鈥� contribute to McKinney鈥檚 sales tax revenues.
Legal battles
A federal judge dismissed a North Texas environmental group鈥檚 lawsuit attempting to void the environmental assessment for the airport expansion last November, citing a lack of jurisdiction.
The lawsuit alleged that the Texas Department of Transportation鈥檚 environmental assessment that found the airport鈥檚 expansion had no significant impact on the environment failed to meet standards set in the National Environmental Policy Act.
Steven E. Ross, the secretary and general counsel for the North Texas Conservation Association, which filed the lawsuit, told 四虎影院 in a previous interview environmental assessment doesn鈥檛 adequately address several environmental concerns, including how the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary will be impacted.
鈥淭here's just a multitude of things that could be done, and we don't think the city has thought through those,鈥� Ross said.
The North Texas Conservation Association, or NTCA, said the D.C. appeals court had jurisdiction because it oversees certain cases involving the Federal Aviation Administration, which ordered TXDOT to issue the environmental assessment.
The court disagreed with that assessment, ruling it didn鈥檛 have jurisdiction over cases that didn鈥檛 involve a direct order from the FAA.
The North Texas Conservation Association filed another lawsuit targeting the airport in March of this year in an attempt to block the use of bond funds from sales tax revenue to fund the airport, arguing it violates the city charter. That case is ongoing.
The McKinney Community Development Corporation and the city filed a in Travis County in response to the recent litigation. The city said bond validation lawsuits require faster processing under Texas law, giving taxpayers the opportunity to still benefit from lower interest rates.
A recent hearing in Travis County court after the city and the North Texas Conservation Association agreed to pause the case will litigation in the Collin County case continues.
What鈥檚 next?
The city says the lawsuits won鈥檛 impact the planned takeoffs at the airport.
Starting Veterans Day, Avelo Airlines will offer nonstop flights to Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando and Tampa. Introductory one-way fares start at $99, and flights booked in July will include a free checked bag.
Got a tip? Email Caroline Love at clove@kera.org.
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