Holland Reporter

A Park Township supervisor candidate wants to stop the demolition of an 83-year-old airport near Holland, Michigan, all while bringing transparency to the forefront of government.

Jim Chiodo, who was a Park Township trustee from 2012 to 2016, told the Holland Reporter that the airport, which is one of the oldest operating airports in the state, is important because, as a tourist attraction, the airport has an abundance of history attached to it, as well as many community events, like kids' flight nights and car shows that have been held there.

Chiodo said the airport has the largest open green space in the township, but the township hasn't paid any money to maintain the airport, so hangars and other airport buildings require upkeep.

The township has had several discussions about the state of the airport buildings since 2019, Chiodo said.

"In January there was a township meeting, and the trustees voted four to three to keep the airport as it was," Chiodo said in an interview. with the Holland Reporter. "Three of the trustees pushed for a public vote. Should we keep the airport or not? Let’s let the voters decide. And the fourth trustee who had voted to keep it as it is said, 'Sure, why not?'"

Chiodo said after the vote, details of the millage came out and that this type of decision shouldn't just be put on a ballot. The trustees then decided what upkeep was required for the airport to be maintained.

Chiodo said the issue isn't just about the airplanes and their owners, but residents also use the airport for other activities, like the Ottawa County Fair that is held across the street, the dog park and the skate park.

Chiodo said the millage failed because people don't like to pay more taxes.

"And so it failed and there was nothing on the ballot about what would happen if the airport millage failed," Chiodo said. "All right. There was no millage before... And the airport was kept alive for 100 years. Yet they said, 'Oh, it's unsustainable.' And then there was the issue of properties — both sides of the airport where the trees were too tall and the owners wouldn’t allow them to be cut down. And your FAA has regulations as to, you know, the glide path you have. You can't have this, and so on and so forth. And lawyers got involved. And, you know, they threatened a lawsuit and eminent domain was enacted to knock down the trees."

Chiodo said it was then that the township decided no one wanted the airport and to have it demolished.

The three trustees involved -- Jim Gerard, George Jacob and Steve Spoelhof -- have now been talking about what will happen to the airport. Gerard is running for township supervisor now, the same race Chiodo is running in.

"I really and truly want to hear what the public wants," Chiodo said. "I'm not a politician. I've collected wages from the government twice in my life. One was four years when I wore a uniform back in the '60s, and the other was in 2012 to 2016 where I was a trustee."

Chiodo said he would love to see the airport become an open space for airport-themed events. He wants the public to be able to decide what it should be used for, and he stressed the need for transparency throughout the process.

"That, in my estimation, has not existed over this entire airport decision to close, the amount of the millage, the fact that the public was never told that the two people were willing to pay to pave that runway, which really was all that was necessary," Chiodo said.