Airport Meeting Attracts Large Crowd

The Gwinnett Board of Commissioners had a lot of company Tuesday morning in Lawrenceville for a .

Citizens wearing red to signify their opposition to privatization were in the room with commissioners and consultants from IMG, the company hired to help the county with the potential privatization of the county-owned airport.

told the crowd that it was not a public hearing or a question-answer session.

The potential of commercial passenger service -- and takeoffs and landings at odd hours -- came up quickly Tuesday.

IMG official Steve Steckler advised that airports receiving federal assistance are obligated to accept such passenger service. But he also said that the local governing body would retain authority "to keep from shoving (commercial) air service down the community's throat."

IMG officials noted that John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif., which is located in the midst of residential areas, has curfews on takeoffs and landings. requested additional information on the curfew there.

Also, Steckler told those in attendance that IMG's work in Indianapolis transformed that airport from a "plain brown wrapper" to "a place where people wanted to be."

(Patch will have updates on Tuesday's hearing.)