Complaint Filed Against Toccoa-Stephens Co. Airport

An investigation is ongoing by the Georgia Department of Transportation into a complaint filed against the Toccoa-Stephens County Airport and the Airport Authority.

Foothills Aviation has filed what is called an informal Part 13 complaint against the Airport and the Airport Authority with the Federal Aviation Administration that the DOT is investigating on the FAA’s behalf.

The lease Foothills Aviation had for hanger space expired December 31 and Airport Authority minutes state that the Authority had voted unanimously to not renew the lease with Foothills Aviation.

However, Foothills Aviation is arguing in its complaint that it is being unjustly discriminated against in not allowing it to continue leasing hangar space, citing something called Federal Grant Assurance #22.

In a letter to the Airport Authority obtained by WNEG News, the DOT said that under Federal Grant Assurance #22, the sponsor of an airport has the responsibility to make the airport available to all types and classes of aeronautical activity without unjust discrimination.

DOT officials then requested the Airport Authority to provide information regarding how the facility will be leased out in the future and a written plan for that, whether other tenants in the facility are being evicted because of planned renovations of the hangar, and whether there is a plan for those repairs.

The Airport Authority said repairs to the hangar are required.

Meanwhile, the Airport Authority began court proceedings to evict Foothills Aviation and a hearing took place on that last week in Stephens County Superior Court.

During that hearing, Judge Robert Struble ordered written briefs submitted on Foothills’ argument that Superior Court cannot evict because the federal grant assurance question makes it a federal issue.

Also last week, the Airport Authority voted 3 to 0 to allow all current tenants and subtenants to remain in the hangar until policies and a new proposed lease are considered.

Tentative policies and standards were also unanimously approved by the Airport Authority last week so as to put them out for feedback prior to final approval.

There is no word as to how long the DOT investigation into the matter will take.