Posted: 5/17/05
Airport plan passes 3-2
County may hire building inspector
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
County commissioners voted 3-2 on May 10 to approve alternative one of an Airport Layout Plan (ALP).
Larry Graf and Kevin Kelleher voted against it. Tom Bjerke, Dave Corcoran, and Ann Thompson voted for it.
Kelleher first made a motion calling for a three-month delay on a vote, but it failed by the same 3-2 margin.
Larry Graf said on May 12 that he doesnít oppose an ALP, but that the timing isnít right at this time.
Federal money is key to the project, and it is not in place, Graf feels. He is also uncertain that state legislators could prevent the county from raising tax money that would be necessary to fund the airport project. Those two reasons are why he wanted to wait three months.
Graf acknowledged an argument that the other commissioners made that by waiting, other airports could get ahead of Houston County for airport funding. ìItís kind of a judgment call,î Graf said.
The La Crescent commissioner was also bothered that no one called him to voice support for the ALP. Most of his constituents use the La Crosse airport, but he expected to hear from some businessmen in the Caledonia area, and that did not occur. ìI had to seek out people to try to get information,î he said.
Alternative 1 of the ALP has a price tag of $3.9 million over 20 years. The countyís cost would be $242,750, with the rest coming from federal aviation-generated funds.
The ALP calls for the construction of a new runway and the removal of some obstructions. The plans will now be sent to the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration for approval. This could take up to a year and a half to complete.
Approving an ALP is the first step in making upgrades at the airport, which was built in 1969 two miles south of Caledonia at the intersection of Highway 44 and 76. The project cannot qualify for federal funding without an approved ALP.
May hire building inspector
The county board also agreed to explore the possibility of sharing a building inspector with cities and/or La Crescent Township.
The motion to send these entities a letter on that subject came after discussion with Denise Thompson of rural Houston. Thompson told the board that someone in her neighborhood had built an ag building that seemed to be intended for human habitation.
No ag building permit was required when it was built, zoning administrator Bob Scanlan told The Argus on May 12. Ag building permits are now required.
Scanlan confirmed that the building has in-floor heat, plus plumbing for bathrooms and five kitchens.
Scanlan said he issued a stop-work order on the building after a septic system was installed without a permit. A septic permit has since been obtained, Scanlan said.
Having a building inspector would be one more way to prevent people from constructing buildings for uses that they are not intended for, Scanlan said.
Scanlan said that if there is a change of use in a building, a new conditional use permit has to be obtained. That has not occurred in this instance yet, he added.
Caledonia Argus
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Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com