A Naples Airport official has rejected the Naples City Council’s contention that Airport Executive Director Chris Rozansky and the Naples Airport Authority are approving the construction of new hangars without the city council’s knowledge. 

Council member Beth Petrunoff led the accusation against Rozansky and the NAA during the May 21 city council meeting. As the council discussed the process by which the 31,000-square-foot expansion of the Naples Jet Center had been approved, Petrunoff told her fellow council members that it was all news to her. 

“We didn’t approve it, but the executive director gave the OK probably to … whoever is leading this charge to build this,” Petrunoff said. “It came as a surprise to us and a surprise to this entity that it wasn’t approved properly.”  

Petrunoff and Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann both painted a picture of what they called a “persistent lack of transparency” by Rozansky and the airport authority. Naples city attorneys said they found eight other projects that had been approved via the same process as the Naples Jet Center.   

There’s only one problem, said Robin King, the airport authority’s spokesperson: Rozansky and the airport authority had nothing to do with approving the hangar. 

“The Naples Airport Authority is not involved in the construction or permitting process between the City of Naples and our airport tenants such as Naples Jet Center,” King told The Naples Press. “All development activities, including construction of new hangars or terminal buildings, must be approved by the City of Naples.” 

King’s statement mirrors that of City Attorney Michael McConnell and Assistant City Attorney Andrew Dickman, who told the council that the city planning and permitting agencies had approved the Naples Jet Center. After getting the OK from Rozansky, the builders of Naples Jet Center met with city planning staff and asked the city’s Design Review Board to evaluate the project. “Design review is not intended to address zoning issues,” the DRB website states. “Please refer to the City of Naples Land Development Code for zoning regulations.” 

After saying, “What was invisible was this jet port; it was nowhere,” Petrunoff criticized the city planning staff for missing the ball on the Jet Center.   

“We’re also missing the person that owns this process in the city,” Petrunoff said. “Where is the process on this and where did we fall short?”  

Vice Mayor Terry Hutchinson agreed with complaints about Rozansky, at one point suggesting he should be removed. A vote to consider such measures against Rozansky failed 2-5. The city council decided to take a larger role in the permitting process during the May 21 meeting, vowing to review every permit for all projects proposed for the airport. 

City Manager Gary Young had already asked Rozansky for a more detailed Utilization Plan showing current buildings and future development — including size, a list of tenants and their use. Rozanksy read the letter to the NAA at its May 15 meeting and King said the NAA did what he asked. 

“The information that was requested by the city manager has been provided as requested,” she told The Naples Press.  

The larger debate is over the city council’s desire to wrest local control of the airport. The council at one point asked the airport authority to stop building hangars to serve jet aircraft that bathe neighborhoods in noise. Voters consistently complain about noise during council and NAA meetings. By limiting hangars, the city can limit the number of jets at the airport, and thus, noise, the mayor said.  

“The lack of clear formal permitting of the Naples Jet Center meets a pattern of the NAA’s lack of transparency and policy conflicts with the Naples City Council,” Heitmann read from a prepared statement. “And [conflicts with] our city’s vision and the city’s residents’ vision.” 

The airport authority will continue, as it states in its strategic plan, to be an “engaged community partner” through its voluntary flight curfews, high-altitude approaches and other noise reduction efforts, but the NAA sits in a kind of no-man’s-land of political agency.  

Though the city owns the land upon which the airport sits, the Legislature created the NAA as “an independent governmental unit charged with the operation, development and improvement of the Naples Airport.” 

City council appoints the NAA board members and the NAA hires the executive director. That means Rozanksy answers to the NAA, not the city council. After all, it is the NAA that puts him through his job review every August. 

Though the city believes the airport authority can limit jet traffic, the airport authority must also follow Federal Aviation Administration rules. To reduce noise, Naples Airport banned Stage 1 and 2 jet aircraft under 75,000 pounds. However, while it can implement weight limits and noise abatement measures, federal law prohibits the airport from arbitrarily denying landing to certain aircraft that can safely land within the weight limit.