In a contentious campaign issue that surfaced during the Port Commissioner race; Lynn Johnston, owner of the Johnston Dairy land has sent out a rally cry to residents of LaCamas Shores and fern prairie residents to condemn the Grove Field Airport.

If you recall, Lynn Johnston and family own property adjacent to their airport and donated campaign funds to Port Commissioner candidates Lampton and Smith, which records show, coincided with the two commissioner elects’ flip flopping their support for Grove Field safety improvements using FAA monies.

 

Johnston and company are beginning to polarize people in an effort to influence the Port Commission to vote against airport safety improvements. Many many community residents see the airport as a critical asset to this community. The port has an opportunity to accept FAA trust funds to improve the safety of the airport and bring it up to FAA safety standards. The Port would need to invest $250,000 which is a drop in the bucket for the Port (remember they have $5.5 million sitting in a savings account doing nothing). See previous posts for more details of airport safety projects.

Lynn Johnston and family have other ideas for the airport property including selling the property for residential development so that Mr. Johnston's dairy farm (adjacent to the airport property) can become a light industrial park with high density housing nearby. This coincides with a long term plan that the City of Camas land north of LaCamas Lake – for future residential and light industrial development. Johnston can see the money rolling in if he can sell his land for light industrial – but that airport needs to go to make his dreams a reality.

In a letter to “friends and neighbors” Mr. Johnston bloviates:  

 “The recent election results will bring a fresh, new perspective to the Port of Camas/Washougal.  We now have two new Commissioners in Bill Macrae-Smith and Mark Lampton who, along with Bill Ward, will once again listen to the residents of Fern Prairie.  This is great news.  Thank you for helping to make this happen!  The outgoing Commissioners Hargrave and Carroll lose their seats in January and are now showing a complete lack of integrity by attempting to pull a fast one on us.”

Johnston wants his readers to believe that the current commissioners are fast tracking their decisions. A five year long process is fast tracking?  He wants people to think there hasn’t been public opinion offered – as though Martha Martin and the CCIA would allow ANY port decision without public opinion?

“The Port Commissioners will be taking public input and then voting on whether to acknowledge to the FAA that the Port intends to apply for federal money and obligate the airport.”  Johnston believes “This is a highly inappropriate step to take especially considering the incoming Port Commission disagrees with this action”.  Johnston writes.

Although Johnston and others attended the last public meeting in person he chose not to speak up during public comments yet he writes   “In all honesty the movement against airport expansion has been waning.  Public input against this expansion project has been decreasing to the point where at the last meeting not one person spoke against it. This is understandable.  We have been worn down attending these meetings for five years with apparently no one listening”

Johnston’s letter attempts to rally neighborhoods and his friends to attend the meeting and he offers to write an opposition speech for you if you don’t know what to say.   “ If you are apprehensive about speaking - If you need ideas on how to voice your opposition drop me a note.” Johnston writes.

Monday Nights meeting should be an interesting event. Please attend, and voice your opinion without prompting and ghost writing by Mr. Johnston. If you are opposed to airport safety improvements – express yourself with a logical reason. Maybe you can throw in opposition for continued safety improvements on the marina as well.

We hope people and the commissioners are smart enough to recognize Mr. Johnstons’ ulterior motives and will support airport safety improvements and the Ports Commissioners to move forward.

Note: this meeting will be held at the Community Center on “C” street just East of Les Schwab at 4:00 PM on Monday, Nov. 16th.