GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Airplanes and people have to coexist, and the issue near Haller Airpark is no different.

Airports were a key topic of discussion at a county workshop Tuesday morning where commissioners also reviewed housing and land codes.

At the June 14 commission meeting, numerous Haller-based pilots were concerned about the rezoning of the 95.23-acre property last summer, setting up the arrival of a resort-style RV area feet from the airpark. They felt they hadn’t been properly notified and not nearly enough safety requirements had been addressed.

One of those pilots, Pat Lee, spoke again Tuesday morning. Lee said when he was a commercial pilot, sometimes runways would be enveloped in storms or other hazards. He said Clay County is going through a hazardous time as well, with the arrival of the First Coast Expressway.

“We are relying on you to control this growth,” Lee told commissioners. “The growth has to be managed. It has to be focused. It has to not be at the whim of every developer that comes down and tries to influence you on your decisions on how our county grows.”

The potential development of an RV resort with 550 RV spaces and other amenities was approved last August by the Planning Commission, though the homeowners and pilots disputed they were notified.

County Manager Howard Wanamaker read state Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration criteria for airports, which impacts residences, noise, runways and wildlife.

Wanamaker called for a reform to the county’s code that forged ahead on new ground. He recommended the county be allowed to use WGI, the firm tasked with editing the land development code.

Commissioner Betsy Condon said residents at a different airpark, Cecil Airport, told her they can see tail numbers because of how low planes fly.

“I think it’s appropriate to look at that,” she said. The safety of people on the ground and those flying in the air are both paramount, Commissioner Jim Renninger. Haller is a private airpark and Renninger reiterated the state does not adequately address private airparks. He said the area had several military retirees with a wealth of aviation knowledge.

“Don’t forget about the community,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of experience here.”

BCC Chairman Wayne Bolla said it’s always complex when personal property rights are in play.

“Somewhere in the middle we’ve got to find common ground,” he said.