Customs- and border- protection group makes plans for testing at Hartwood airport

By MEGHANN COTTER

Date published: 6/9/2007

By MEGHANN COTTER

A federal agency has picked the Hartwood Airport property as the place to test border-control technology.

The 180-acre private strip, which straddles the Stafford and Fauquier county lines, has been primarily a skydiving hub since 1969.

Operations will continue there. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection office has contracted to use the shorter of the airport's two runways.

Kelly Klundt, spokeswoman for the agency, said existing machines used for border monitoring already are tested individually throughout the country. But her office plans to use the airport property to integrate the pieces and examine how well they transmit information as a whole.

"The Northern Virginia location really is where all of it comes together with simulation of a land border," she said.

The technology includes everything from license plate readers to contraptions that detect minute traces of radiation to X-ray machines that look for smuggled cargo or people. Some of it has been in use since about 1995, while other parts were introduced after Sept. 11, 2001.

Advancements in the inspection stations allow border patrols to speed up and perfect the country's entrance process.

"It behooves us to test out existing technology and look at new technology to help us with border management," Klundt said. "Nothing we are doing involves any sort of dangerous elements, materials or equipment in the least."

The Hartwood Airport sits about 50 miles from her department's headquarters in Washington. While the entrance and part of the property are in Stafford, current plans put the testing on the Fauquier side.

The agency is working with both localities through its contractor, Texas-based EDS, to determine what zoning or permits are required.

It has finalized a lease on the property, Klundt said. But no official application has been filed with the localities.

Doug Morgan, a commercial planner in Fauquier, said the county would need to amend its zoning ordinance to allow the testing. The amendment and a special exception would require a public hearing and vote of the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.

Stafford officials plan to remain involved in the planning conversations, but don't anticipate having much control over operations.

Beyond road improvements needed for traffic entering the site from Stafford, officials cannot regulate testing across county lines, said Cathy Riddle, the county's spokeswoman.

A conditional-use permit would be required on the agricultural-zoned land if the company decided to use Stafford property for any of the testing.

Read more stories about Stafford
Date published: 6/9/2007