Airport studies flawed

EDITOR:

While the airport issue seems to have lots of emotion, one fact I have not seen the proponents refute is the flawed airport studies. According to Wayne Ferree, opponent on the issue, the two studies made in 2002 and 2005 were done by the same firm and have holes in them.

Meanwhile, Dave Monti, a proponent, claims these studies were done by engineering professionals and were done independently.

And finally Kelly Rosser, another proponent, said that NDOT did two studies that confirmed the weight numbers as being higher than presently approved by the voters. And then goes on to say that we should not believe that some local "engineer" is more expert than those employed by NDOT.

First, you should be aware that engineering is not an exact science. And two engineers can come up with different answers. I know since I have over 35 years experience as an engineer and at one time held two professional engineering licenses in the state of California.

Second, my experience is that NDOT engineers will give you any answer you ask for. Don't believe me? I happened to be the grandfather of Bridget, the girl who was killed in 2005 at the corner of Highway 395 and Stephanie Way in an automobile accident caused by a senile 79-year-old man (as determined by a court of law).

The expert engineers at NDOT refused to consider putting a signal there even though traffic at that intersection had grown to dangerous levels. In the words of the NDOT Safety Engineer, "Not enough people had died at that intersection to justify a signal." It took over 6,000 signatures and the governor to change the opinion of those "expert" engineers at NDOT. Are they the people you want to trust with your life?

And if you think our elected officials don't have a hidden agenda and only get the best studies done, consider the studies they bought that said the development on the east side of Topsy Lane and Highway 395 was going to make the county loads of money. In fact, so much money that the commissioners agreed to pay the developer over $25 million to build just a small shopping site. Check out the "shopping center" today. That was just another study that gave the county the answers they wanted.

I for one would like to put this issue on hold until a truly independent study is done by someone outside Nevada to get the real facts. So I'll be voting no on the Airport question.

Bob Chambers

Gardnerville