LOCAL AIRPORT
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The Frankfort Dow Memorial Field is our local city-county-township airport, located at 650 Airport Road, Frankfort, Michigan 49635 and can be reached by called 231-352-9118. Hours are M-F 10-2, or on weekends by appointment.
The Frankfort City-County Airport Authority (FCCAA) is the governing body for the airport. It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization. The purpose of the Authority is to independently operate and maintain the Frankfort Dow Memorial Field Airport. Membership to govern the Authority currently is presumed to consist of two (2) members from each of these legislative bodies: City of Frankfort, Crystal Lake Township and Benzie County. An additional member is then appointed by the majority vote of the six (6) Authority members, for a total of seven (7). Although many years ago the Crystal Lake Township board voted to become a member of the FCCAA and has since financially contributed to it for decades, there was no formal and legally binding document drawn up stating so. Click here for the Benzie County government website page. Click here for a current copy of the FCCAA bylaws. Click here for a current copy of the FCCAA 24-25 budget. Click here for the 24-25 FCCAA meeting schedule.
Tammy May at [email protected].
About Airport Authorities The Community Airports Act, Public Act 206 of 1957, MCL 259.621, et seq., authorizes two or more counties, cities, villages or townships to form an airport authority to plan, promote, acquire, construct, improve, enlarge, extend, own, maintain and operate one or more airport landings and navigational and building facilities, either within or outside their limits. With the approval of the electors, an airport authority may levy up to 1 mil. Airport Zoning:
Landing Strips (Public or Private) Click here for Requirements for Establishing a Private or Public Landing Site (.pdf) |
Water Landings / Seaplanes
A zoning ordinance preventing seaplanes from taking off and landing on a small lake has been upheld by the 6th Circuit. Gustafson v. City of Lake Angelus, 76 F.3d 778, United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit (1996). A subsequent Michigan Court of Appeals opinion also upheld the local ordinance. City of Lake Angelus v. Michigan Aeronautics Com’n 260 Mich.App. 371, 378, 676 N.W.2d 642, 645 (Mich.App.,2004) City of Lake Angelus was not decided on the question of whether a local unit has the authority to regulate the uses of inland waters. It was decided on the issue of whether the City of Lake Angelus’ authority to adopt an ordinance regulating the landing of seaplanes was preempted by the Aeronautics Commission’s authority to regulate airports and landing fields. It’s not clear from the opinion whether ordinance was a zoning ordinance or not, but it is suggested that it was by the opinion—and if it was the zoning ordinance, then it is unrelated to the general authority for a local government to regulate the licensing of personal watercraft for the general public health, safety and welfare. The court declined to address the issue of whether a city has authority to regulate inland waters: “The city, in effect, zoned Lake Angelus, located entirely within the city, as a nonflying field (body of water). The Aeronautics Commission’s authority to approve the location of flying fields, including on a body of water, does not empower it to require a city to locate a flying field on a body of water located entirely within the city that the city determines is not an appropriate landing field for seaplanes. “Our disposition makes it unnecessary for us to consider the city’s arguments that the administrative rule, if not invalid as in excess of the authority granted by the enabling act, is violative of the Home Rule City Act, M.C.L. § 117.1 et seq., and the City and Village Zoning Act, M.C.L. § 125.581 et seq., and of still other statutes, and decisions of the Supreme Court in Square Lake Hills Condominium Ass’n v. Bloomfield Twp., 437 Mich. 310, 471 N.W.2d 321 (1991), and Hess v. West Bloomfield Twp., 439 Mich. 550, 486 N.W.2d 628 (1992).” Related Links
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