<< Back 5/1/02 Tribe, Macon near agreement on remains, airport expansion By Beth Seay It’s unlikely the Macon County Airport will ever have commercial passenger service, but resolving the current expansion delay is still an important economic development issue for local officials. A recent “letter of understanding” between the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, federal and state officials and the Macon County Airport Authority brings those groups one step closer to resolving a “very sensitive situation,” according to Ed Henson, chairman of the airport authority. Plans for an extension of the runway at the airport have been held up due to the discovery of archeological remains, including human remains, at the site. “This was evidently a very large encampment” of the Cherokee, said Henson. It has been estimated that as many as 300 bodies may be buried at the site. Chairman of the Macon County commissioners Harold Corbin said the Cherokee tribal council has been very cooperative, specifying that the remains be treated with “due respect.” The groups are hoping to come to an agreement regarding moving graves found at the site, which would allow construction on the runway to commence. Henson, who is also mayor of Franklin, said the graves would be relocated to a secure area near the original burial site, maintaining a configuration as close as possible to the original. Objects buried with the remains will be mapped and re-buried. James Bird, tribal historic preservation officer and cultural resources manager with the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, said final details have not been settled — for instance, exactly who will be moving the remains. Relocating the graves is likely to be very expensive, said Henson. He explained that funding will come from the North Carolina Department of Transportation and, hopefully, the FAA. Federal funds have also been requested through Rep. Charles Taylor. Henson said the relocation could cost anywhere from $500,000 to $3 million. Bird said when the airport was originally built around 1970, there were no laws in place to protect such archeological finds. Now, the law requires phase I and II archeological surveys to be done, which have identified evidence of “continuous occupation over several thousand years,” according to Bird. Several burial sites were found in the construction zone and, “by extrapolation,” many more are believed to be located there. Bird said the tribal council is “not anti-development,” but that they wanted to see the remains “handled respectfully and in compliance with federal law.” He added that the support of the tribal council and Chief Leon Jones “add authority to our voice.” The airport is owned by the county and is run by a five-member airport authority formed about two years ago, according to Corbin. Neil Hoppe is the fixed base operator and manages the airport. He is not a county employee but receives revenue from hanger rentals, fuel sales and other activities. The planned extension would add 601 feet to the existing runway at the airport, bringing the total length to just over 5,000 feet, said Henson. The added length will enable larger corporate jets and private planes to fly in and out of Macon County. The airport is an important economic engine, Henson said. Businesses based in Macon County and owners of summer homes make the airport an important part of Macon County’s tax base, said Henson. “It is much more valuable than the average person realizes,” said Henson. According to Hoppe, the facility has a surprising amount of traffic, particularly between Memorial Day and fall. “There are some days we could use a traffic cop out there,” Hoppe said. He said there are 28 airplanes based at the Macon County airport; during peak weekends there are an additional 20-25 visiting planes parked, and about 15 planes are in and out. Dan Rogers, a local businessman and member of the airport authority, says he has used the airport nearly every week since 1989. He flies from his business in Franklin, Duotech Services, to the company’s second location in Florida. Rogers said quite a few local business use the airport, which then generates county-wide revenue. He said the taxes on a plane based at the Macon County airport would be more than several houses. Rogers said the runway extension will enable even more local business to use the airport. He said that several local business use the aiport in Toccoa because of the length of the runway. While the additional runway space and a nearly-completed terminal building — due to open the first week of June — will increase the airport’s capacity, Henson said the facility will probably never have a commercial passenger shuttle service. He explained that, due to the airport’s location, only visual landings are possible. Equip-ment needed for instrument landings cannot be installed in the valley where the airport is located. Hoppe said that the new terminal building will more than triple the terminal space now available.