Evening star., 1951-11-29
Virginia Urged
ToKeepContro|
OF Burke Site
Advisory Council
Lists Five Findings
And Conclusions

The Virginia Advisory Legisla.
tive Council has recommended
that the State retain full contro
over the area of the proposed
Burke airport in Fairfax County
1 In a four-page report which
will be presented to the Genera
Assembly in January, the council
listed five findings and conclu.
sions. 1t charged the Civil Aero.
nautics Administration did moi
give serious consideration to q
resolution Of the Virginia General
Assembly which directed the
council to study the location OF
an alternate airport in Virginia.
Findings Listed.
The council listed its findings
and conclusions as follows:
81. The CAA has selected the
Burke site for the location Of an
alternate airport to serve WASH
ington.
20. The cAA did not consult
with the governing body in the
county until after the site had
been selected.
"3. The impact upon Fairfax
County will be serious, involving
the loss of considerable tax rev.
enue.
q. The cAA did not give Sc
rious consideration to the resolu-
ton of the General Assembly of
Virginia.
IS. The State should retain its
full jurisdiction over the area en-
braced within the airport in order
(a) to insure its rightful due tax
wise and (b) to avoid the creation
within it of areas where its writ
does not run"
The Legislative Council was di-
rected to study the problem of the
Burke airport in Joint resolu-
tion adopted by the General AS
sembly in 1850.
The council was directed to re-
port to the Governor and General
Assembly not later than October
4, 1851. with its findings and
recommendations.
3 Fairfax Protests.
The Board of Supervisors of
Fairfax protested when 1t was
announced that Burke was select
ed as the site of a new airport for
the Washington area, saying that
they were not consulted prior to
the selection Of the site.
The Legislative Council report
refers to an amendment to the
bill authorizing construction of
an airport in the Washington
area providing for selection of the
site latter consultation with local
governing bodies"
The report says that the pro-
posed site Of about 1900 acres,
lin addition to other existing and
contemplated Federal holdings,
will mean the loss of considerable
local tax revenue. Against this,
however. must be balanced such
revenues as may be brought in
by activities incident to the air.
port"
Jurisdiction Surrendered.
Members of the committee ap-
pointed by the council to study
the Burke site problem included
Senator Andrew w. Clarke Of
Faifax, Edwin Lynch OF Fairfax
and Armistead Boothe OF Alex
andria, members of the House Of
Delegtes.
Virginia, in the case of the Ma
tional Airport. passed a law in
1946 surrendering full Jurisdiction
to the Federal Government, with
minor exceptions.
These include the right to regu-
late and collect taxes on sale of
alcoholic beverages at the CAA-
administered airport, and to COL
lect taxes on sale of gasoline and
oil to over-the-road motor We
hicles.
Virginia also has the right to
serve criminal and civil legal
processes on the Federal reserva-
ton.
In 1s45 Congress passed the
Boundary Act" redefining the
boundary between the District and
Virginia.
CAA Police Recognized.
This included stipulation that
Virginia had agreed to allow the
Government virtually full juris-
|diction over the airport.
The same act entitled the CAA's
police force to make arrests on
the premises.
Virginia has no right to tax
other business enterprises, If their
activities are confined solely to the
airport.
Hhe Legislative Council is a
standing, permanent council COM
posed Of members Of the General
Assembly which conducts studies
and investigations at the direction
of the Legislature and the Gov
ernor.