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Photo from Jumbolair FacebookMovie star and lifelong pilot John Travolta joined a fight with residents to prevent the rezoning of land surrounding his Florida home. Travolta and local groups were opposed to the plans to rezone the land around Jumbolair Aviation Estates, but the plans were withdrawn just hours before the vote. Fly-in communities can serve as a haven for pilots and aviation enthusiasts, but these private communities often have to fight to maintain land rights.
Jumbolair rezoning plans withdrawnFlorida's Jumbolair Airport (17FL) in Ocala, Florida is home to the largest, licensed, private runway in North America. Longtime resident Travolta owns a 6,600-square-foot home on 20 acres at Jumbolair, according to The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Travolta keeps his Boeing 707 on his driveway and has lived in the area for about 20 years. Travolta joined groups like Save Our Rural Areas and Horse Farms Forever in opposing the rezoning of 449.66 acres of land from a mix of General Agriculture, Agriculture Estate, Community Business and Light Industrial to Planned Unit Development, with plans for up to 240 single-family residential units and 30.28 acres of commercial space, according to Ocala StarBanner.Photos of Jumbolair from SORA
Travolta's lawyers sent a letter on his behalf, explaining the reasoning for the objections to Jumbolair's third Master Developer, Robert Bull.
"Robert Bull's proposed comprehensive plan amendment and rezoning demonstrate the antithesis of the protections established by the Supreme Court which have permeated throughout the Country, throughout Florida, and are recognized in Marion County," the letter said. "Bull's proposals instead serve to threaten the public's health, safety, and welfare by densifying property in a rural area close to a large private runway and by endangering the safety of residents that live in proximity to his property."
The letter stated the development would pose safety risks to residents due to the close proximity to an active runway, noise and air pollution due to additional private air traffic, property value decreases due to additional air traffic, environmental and natural habitat impact due to the increased air and vehicular traffic.
"Compared to the existing low-density neighborhoods surrounding the area, Bull's proposals would irrevocably alter the complexion of north central Marion County from a quiet, rural farmland community to a bustling airfield surrounded by dense residential development and commercial development," the letter said. "Bull's applications promote the creation of a disproportionate island of increased density and air traffic that is disconnected and isolated from the true urban fabric of Marion County located to the south of the subject Property."
"The above-referenced failures in Bull's proposals demonstrate a blatant lack of interest in preserving the rural nature of the area and Jumbolair's unique history," the letter continued. "Accordingly, and as a consequence of the proposals' inconsistencies with the Comprehensive Plan, Bull's FLUMS amendment and companion rezoning should be rejected and denied."
Hours before the meeting on Tuesday, the request was withdrawn. The withdrawal does not mean the request will not be changed and resubmitted at a later date. The original request was for 446 dwelling units, 205 townhomes and 241 single-family homes but on Jan. 7 the request was changed to 240 single-family homes and no townhomes, according to The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Residents in the SORA Facebook group are already voicing concerns that Bull will resubmit new expansion plans and are standing strong in the opposition to any rezoning whatsoever.
The Ocala Gazette reports that 220 people signed up to speak at the meeting. Fly-in communities have been around since after WWII but the unique setting requires unique regulations to maintain the conditions necessary to live in a flyable community. County Attorney Guy Minter told the board the county received letters from the opposition with claims that there were deficiencies in the land development code specific to private airfields and fly-in communities, recommending a revision in the code to ensure clear criteria. Minter said future applications should wait until new regulations are in place.
Travolta's 707 runway access
Residents, including Travolta, can feel relief as future applications cannot be accepted until land development codes have been studied and revised. Despite a potential win, Travolta has other qualms with Bull, specifically over the weight of his 707. Travolta's trust filed a suit against the Jumbolair Aviation Estates Owners Association and Jumbolair Development, LLC, owned by the Bulls. According to the Ocala Gazette, the complaint centers around the 247,000 pounds 707 and its access to the 7,550-foot runway and a descent lighting system. A previous suit in 2007 and a 2008 settlement agreement protected the 707's runway access, which was deemed sufficient to accommodate the large plane.
The suit alleges that new owner Bull has been inconsistent with his rights and responsibilities as Master Developer and impeded the runway use residents like Travolta with his 707 and another local with a Gulfstream II, have enjoyed for years. The suit alleges that Jumbolair has wrongly implemented weight restrictions to the runway and refused to allow access or use of the PAPI lights, which were installed to prevent CFIT. The suit also alleges that an altercation took place in the summer of 2023 in which Bull was physically removed from Travolta's property after a confrontation occurred. The complaint states that both parties were unable to resolve the conflicts in mediation on Jan. 10 and the suit was filed in court on Jan. 18.RELATED STORY:America's Largest Fly-in Communities
Residential airparks - a dream or a battleground?
Residential airparks seem like a dream for many pilots. Residents can wake up, surrounded by a rural, aviation-loving community with a plane parked on the driveway or in a hangar by the home. According to Ridge Landing Airpark, fly-in communities began to form around the U.S. after WWII when there was an availability of unused airstrips and a surge in qualified pilots after the war. In 1939 there were about 34,000 pilots in the U.S., but this jumped to 400,000 after WWII. The solution was to build communities surrounding the discontinued military airstrips. While the proposed 6,000 communities never came to fruition, there are hundreds of residential airparks around the world.
Living With Your Plane, a resource for all things related to fly-in communities reports that there are roughly 630 aviation communities around the world. In the U.S., Florida leads with about 70 communities, followed by Texas with 65 and Washington with 50. The largest fly-in community is in Port Orange, Florida, called Spruce Creek Airpark. There is a 4,000-foot runway and over 1,300 houses and 700 hangars. Many of these communities maintain a rural, country feel with nature and farmland surrounding many of the airparks. These communities can be isolated, offering residents amenities like golf courses and equestrian facilities.
While these communities offer residents the ease of walking from their front door to their hangar, many have had to fight to continue living in private plane-centered communities. In 2021, the AOPA reported that Flying Crown Park, south of Anchorage, was being sued by the Alaska Railroad Corp. The community, which had been around since the early 1950s, had held an easement across the subdivision and part of the airstrip, which was treated as nonexclusive. The railroad sued with claims that the easement was exclusive and the railroad had the power to deny property owners permission to use the airstrip, and charge fees for the use. The Pacific Legal Foundation reported that a federal district judge took the railroad's side, agreeing that the easement was exclusive. Residents filed an appeal and as of December 2023, the original order has been upheld.RELATED STORY:Wing walking business faces lawsuit, FAA investigationLiving With Your Plane reported that Rowan County in North Carolina voted against a rezoning request for the development of a 574-acre solar farm. Residents of nearby Gold Hill Airpark were opposed, fearing the flare of the panels would make the land an unfavorable landing site in case of an airborne emergency. The Blue Ribbon Farms development in Sequim, Washington took action against a resident's company, Mason Wing Walking Academy, claiming the residents learned the business, which used the community airstrip, did not comply with FAA regulations and had no liability insurance to protect the board and residents from liability claims.
While airparks seem like the perfect place for pilots to live, these unique communities are not without their problems.