Okaloosa County commissioners have postponed approval of a zoning change that would have prohibited private and residential airports from operating on the waterfront.
The policy change also would have restricted private airports to one of three zoning areas: agricultural, institutional or airport industrial park.
Commissioners voted earlier this week to table the proposal indefinitely after hearing concerns from a loosely organized group representing the private aviation community. Its members told commissioners they feared the zoning change would have unintended consequences for their lifestyles and businesses.
�This is one of the more complex regulatory and jurisdictional issues that we will ever attempt to tackle, so if we�re going to do that, I think it behooves us to do that cautiously,� Commissioner Nathan Boyles said.
County officials will restart their review of the regulations by getting input from the local aviators and resubmitting any proposed changes to the county�s Planning Commission.
Many people in the aviation group are private pilots who use residential airparks and say the proposed changes could restrict their activity. Two others are a local aircraft manufacturer and a marina owner who claim the zoning change would eliminate their seaplane business.
The recent increase in helicopter sightseeing ventures, particularly in Destin Harbor, as well as general aircraft congestion prompted county officials to review regulations governing aircraft-related businesses and private airports.
A major concern cited in the RS&H study was that �private takeoff and landing facilities� could create operational conflicts.
Some local pilots say the study is flawed because it did not seek input from the private aviation community.
Commissioner Kelly Windes said the priority should be solving the unsafe congestion in and above Destin Harbor.
The bottom line is the county has a �safety problem in Old Pass Lagoon� that has gone too far, he said.