[Project Thread/New Construction/Photo du jour/Const. CAMs]

FYI: I was driving down 12th Ave South today, and on a corner lot that currently is home to a used car lot (a couple of blocks south of Portland Brew), there was a zoning admendment sign on the property saying the owners were going to ask for a skyplane variance. I'm guessing this is to amend the maximum height of whatever might be built there but was unsure. I've heard nothing else about the property. Anyone with more info?

[Signature Tower]

You have to have an understanding of aviation and how it relates to Nashville before you start questioning the whole "flight paths" thing though. The airport is well over 50 years old easily and up until the last ten or so years, there hasn't been any towers tall enough to matter here. As far as I see it, the airport was there first and the safety of the residents of Nashville and those on the airplanes is first and foremost period, end of discussion. Both the MNAA and the Federal Government would 100% agree with me here.

It takes a lot of "space" to turn an aircraft. Their not like your lawn mower and turn on a dime. They take a while to turn, to climb, and to get up to certain alititudes. It's the cities responsibility, the FAA's, and the local Airport Authorities job to ensure that all precations are taken and that public safety is first. Plus, it doesn't take an idiot to look at the configuration of runway 13 and it's relation to downtown. It's not about "intelligence" as you so easily put it. It's about common sense here and an understanding of aviation and airplanes and how they interact with the Nashville enviroment. Not to mention an understanding that other cities are worse off than us and this is not the first time the FAA has recommended shortening a proposed building in the USA. Look at Chicago Midway Airport, JFK, Miami, the list goes on and on here about flight paths and positioning of runways. What is happening here is HARDLY anything special.

I agree with most everything you're saying, and I realize that this situation is not unique to Nashville. But unlike Chicago, New York, or even Miami Nashville basically has one, small, compact area of highrise development. Perhaps the criticism shouldn't go to the FAA but way back to the original layout and positioning of the runways. However it happened, it came to pass that these big ol' planes were being brought in not only over the most densely populated portion of the city, but the only point in the entire city with significant vertical development. At best this seems to be a lack of foresight (though who could have foreseen a 1000 ft tower being built downtown. There are still some of us having a hard time seeing that...).

[Signature Tower]

Regardless of the height of the Signature Tower, it is hard to find the intelligence in having flight paths so close to the CBD.