Tulsa World: Flight-simulator manufacturer gets BA planning board's OK

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Flight-simulator manufacturer gets BA planning board's OK

By SUSAN HYLTON World Staff Writer
Published: 11/20/2009 2:22 AM
Last Modified: 11/20/2009 6:11 AM

BROKEN ARROW — A business' rezoning request was approved Thursday night by the city Planning Commission.

The City Council will consider the panel's recommendation on FlightSafety International's request Dec. 15.

The new facility would be funded largely through government incentives, and the land in question is a wooded hillside where water towers sit on the southwest corner of 71st Street and Lynn Lane Road, or 177th East Avenue. The water towers would stay, a city official said. The property is zoned for less-intensive uses, such as multifamily housing, and now is recommended for light industrial.

Dave Holford, FlightSafety's director of facilities, said the company wants to replace its cramped campus at 2700 N. Hemlock Circle, south of the Broken Arrow expressway near 145th East Avenue, with a streamlined facility for its 687 employees, which it plans to increase to 1,000.

FlightSafety manufactures flight-simulator machines for the military and commercial airlines and trains more than 75,000 pilots, technicians and aviation specialists each year.

Owned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc., the company is based in New York City and employs more than 4,000 people companywide.

City planning personnel recommended the zoning change with the submission of a formal plan or planned unit development for the site.

"I'm still kind of surprised it's being developed. It sat there for years," Planning Commission Chairman Johnnie Parks said of the location. "If it's going to be developed, I think a development like this with a PUD (planned unit development), where we have complete control over every tree that goes in and how it looks, sits better with me than a duplex or apartments that we don't have as much control over."

Four nearby residents and a business owner told commissioners that they worry about noise, traffic, the safety of the many schoolchildren in the area, aesthetics and whether the site is big enough to accommodate the operation.

Edgar Harris questioned the funding, asking, "When will the residents of Broken Arrow find out what the cost in taxes and hidden costs are?"

Parks replied: "I have no idea. We're looking strictly at the zoning.

"I question, too, how they're going to finance it," he said, adding that those decisions fall to the City Council.

FlightSafety is asking the city to provide $6.6 million in goods, services or cash for the expansion, records show.

Holford said a total of $18 million in incentives is available through the Cherokee Nation, the state Department of Commerce and the city of Broken Arrow.

City Development Services Director Michael Skates said the location is in an enterprise zone, which makes it eligible for public funding because it has been identified as a low- to middle-income area.

As for Broken Arrow's contribution, Acting City Manager David Wooden has said the $6.6 million toward construction of the $30 million facility could be funded through an economic development bond, state bond or tax-increment financing district.

Holford said FlightSafety's Broken Arrow facility has a $41 million payroll and an average salary of $58,000.

The company hopes to start construction in January and finish by February 2011.

Susan Hylton 581-8381
susan.hylton@tulsaworld.com By SUSAN HYLTON World Staff Writer

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anoy, (11/20/2009 3:34:45 PM)

I to am suprised that this land is being developed this way. This location is in a residential area that already does not have good traffic control. Not to mention this land to develop will require alot of work and MONEY. It had already been talked about that because of its unique location and one of the last wooded areas in downtown that would be a excellent location for the citizens to have hiking trails and recreation area that this area lacks. In addition it would tie in with downtown and bring people to the downtown area. This was all a part of the masterplan for Broken Arrow so what happened and why don't they consider the impact it would have to those who located and purchased housing near here with consideration that this was not zoned industrial. So I ask the city do the any of the residents opinions matter or are you willing to cooperate with the landowners who this effects everyday. It isn't the city council who has to look out there everyday and it was never zoned in this matter when land was purchased. In conclusion the idea of a using a rise in property tax to pay for this is appaling the property will not increase nobody wants to back up to 24 hour business.

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flightsafetyemployee, (11/20/2009 9:17:05 PM)

I am a current FlightSafety employee and I can guarantee you that more than 80% of the employees are pay WAY under that $58,000 crap. There's even rumors going around now that there is going to be a lay off. People are currently sitting idle at their desks because of lack of work. Dave Holford needs to get a new calculator or go back to school and learn how to add. Because I know for a fact that most of the people there are making way less than $30,000. They are simply trying to make themselves sound good.

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