DATE: Tuesday, November 18, 1997            TAG: 9711180277

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JOHN MURPHY,STAFF WRITER

DATELINE: MANTEO, N.C.                      LENGTH:   55 lines

CITIZENS VOICE THEIR CONCERNS AT HEARING ON JET RELOCATION

Safety, cooperation and better communication. That's what residents of this coastal town asked for Monday night during the Navy's final public hearing on its plan to relocate 180 F/A-18 Hornets to Virginia.

About 20 people attended the hearing at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. Of those, seven people commented.

Bob Gabriel, a member of the Dare County Ocean Rescue Services, asked the Navy to help train his group to respond to military aircraft accidents.

Tim Gaylord, administrator of the Dare County Regional Airport, asked for better cooperation from the Navy so there would no longer be interference with takeoffs and landings at the county airport.

Manteo is located near Dare County Bombing Range, a 46,000-acre facility surrounded by the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge that is used primarily by the Navy and Air Force. Relocating all the jets to Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach would mean an additional 1,500 to 2,000 operations, or ``sorties,'' annually there.

Michael Bryant, an official of U.S. Fish and Wildlife, said the military operation sometimes interfere with his flights over the wildlife refuge to monitor fires, the red wolf population and birds.

One resident of Virginia Beach drove down to attend the meeting. John Shick, a member of the newly formed citizen's Action Committee on F/A-18 relocation, complained that the jets would bring increased noise and safety concerns.

``I do not believe that the long-term economic vitality of Virginia Beach is contingent upon the explosive growth that would accompany these aircraft,'' he said.

Monday night's meeting was the second to be held in Manteo. An Oct. 23 hearing attracted just five people, only one of whom commented. The Navy announced last week that it would hold another meeting to encourage more input.

The Navy last month held six public hearings in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.

Hearings in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake drew about 500 residents and political leaders, many offering enthusiastic support for the jets. But a group of residents, afraid of the increased noise levels, asked that the Navy find another home for the Hornets.

The public comment period was scheduled to end today, but the Navy announced last week that it would extend the deadline to Dec. 2 at the request of North Carolina officials. They asked for the additional time to review the draft Environmental Impact Statement.

The statement outlines the effects and costs of relocating 180 F/A-18s from soon-to-close Cecil Field, Fla. It recommends that all the jets be relocated to Oceana. Other options include splitting the jets between Oceana and installations at Cherry Point, N.C., and Beaufort, S.C.

The Navy is expected to make a final decision on where to land the jets in the spring. KEYWORDS: AIRPLANE RELOCATION U.S. NAVY HEARING

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