TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Cardinals and others building a new football stadium in Tempe may be between a rock and a hard place.
The Federal Aviation Administration released a preliminary
statement Wednesday that said the proposed $335 million stadium on
which work has been halted would be a "hazard to air navigation"
as now planned.
The FAA said it wouldn't issue a final finding until after
hearing again from Tempe officials and the state's Tourism and
Sports Authority, which is overseeing the project.
FAA officials said the stadium could create a physical obstruction to flights, could interfere with flight instruments and could affect a pilot's ability to react in critical situations.
Yet another concern was that pilots might refuse to use the
flight path, reducing the airport's capacity. Sky Harbor
International Airport has 635,000 takeoffs and landings each year,
making it the fifth busiest airport in the world.
The site is 1.8 miles from the end of Sky Harbor's north runaway. Authorities said earlier the stadium might interfere with signals that guide pilots into a landing under some circumstances.
Current flights cross 400 to 800 feet above the site. Proposed changes could bring the planes closer.
Under current plans, the stadium would reach 198 feet above ground
level on a foundation about 36 feet underground. The FAA suggested
that its height be no more than 115 above ground level.
Not only would that place a major portion of the structure underground, but there are problems concerning bedrock and water beneath the site.
Another problem would be how to deal with the planned retractable grass field that's to rest on a tray and be rolled out to reach sunlight. A canal that now runs where the field also would be continues to be a problem.
However, Ted Ferris, the sports authority's president, noted
that the FAA pledged to work with the panel and others to find "a
mutually acceptable" resolution of the safety concerns.
"We have said all along that issues concerning the site would arise and that the TSA (the sports authority) is committed to discussing these issues openly and working with the FAA to resolve them," Ferris said.
Phoenix City Councilwoman Peggy Bilstein said no more money
should be spent on a site that is clearly a safety hazard and that
another site should be found, a move Tempe and the sports authority
have flatly rejected repeatedly.
Phoenix Mayor Skip Rimsza, who has supported the Tempe site,
said he did so "with the understanding that it would not adversely
impact the safety of Sky Harbor"
"This is a very real issue that can not be ignored, and we
cannot change airport operations or flight patterns because of the
football stadium," Rimsza added. He said he still could support
the Tempe site if the safety issues can be resolved.
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