By Phil Riske, editor, Rose Law Group Reporter
The Phoenix Business Journal reports several Arizona lawmakers and business leaders are opposed to proposed building height restrictions by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Buildings within 10,000 feet from the end of an airport runway cannot exceed 250 feet in height. The FAA proposal, which has reportedly gained a lot of support over the past year, would limit building heights to 160 feet — a 36 percent reduction.
In 2001, I took a helicopter ride with a pilot for ABC 15 over the Washington St.-Priest Dr. area in Tempe, at the time the proposed site for the new Arizona Cardinals football stadium.
The proposed stadium site was, to say the least, a political and government fireball regarding aircraft noise levels and safety, which I reported on as editor of Sky Harbor Airport News, and independent weekly newspaper.
There were concerns about commercial airliners flying too close to the planned stadium, which was near the end of Runway 26, which lands airplanes from east to west. Stadium proponents claimed the stadium would be to the side of the landing approach, but my helicopter ride showed the site directly in line with 26, which we documents with photos.
Regardless, Tempe’s lobbyist said nothing would stop the $334 million project,
“In the big picture of this construction starting and the stadium going up as planned and on time, it’s totally a done deal,” former Attorney General Grant Woods told us at an airport news conference.
At the time, the Federal Aviation Administration had issued a preliminary opinion the stadium site would be a “hazard to air navigation” as planned.
Tempe’s legal action forced jets to make tricky and risky, maneuvers during final approaches until the FAA abandoned the “sidestep” procedure in 2002 after two planes came dangerously close on final approach.
In the end, Glendale landed what is now the Cardinals’ University of Phoenix Stadium
