Proposed construction threatens safety at DC-area airport
Written testimony must be submitted by May 13
AOPA is urging pilots and residents around College Park, Maryland, to speak out against a proposed Junior Tennis Champions Center expansion that would compromise safety at College Park Airport ahead of a Prince George’s County Planning Board meeting May 15.
The proposed site would violate both state and local regulations and present a serious safety risk. An FAA evaluation in 2023 found the structure, as currently designed, would penetrate the airport’s transitional surface—an essential safety zone that extends outward and upward from the runway and approach edges to protect aircraft during takeoff and landing. Building the structure as designed would violate FAR 77.19.
“College Park Airport is the world’s oldest continuously operating airport,” said AOPA Eastern Regional Manager Sean Collins. “It is vital that the Prince George’s County Planning Board understand that the proposed facility would violate federal regulations as well as state and local zoning laws, jeopardizing the safety of pilots, passengers, and people on the ground. Any development that encroaches on its protected airspace undermines not just safety, but also the integrity of this historic airport and its future viability. We encourage them to deny the building permit unless and until the modifications are made to eliminate the safety risk.”
Comments can be emailed to [email protected] until noon on May 13 for consideration during the May 15 meeting.
