|
County leaning towards moving forward with airport project
|
|
|
By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
After hearing some very compelling testimony from Eric Benson, chairman of the Houston County Airport Commission who owns Benson Technical Works, a
Caledonia-based company that utilizes the county airport on a daily basis as well as Airport Commission member Bob Cummings and County Commissioner Bob Augedahl, the Houston County Board indicated it will move forward with a environmental assessment study needed to build a new runway and possibly save the county’s airport.
According to Benson, there are state and federal funds available to not only bring the airport back into compliance to have its GPS system reactivated, but also to build a new 4,000-foot runway and locate a state-of-the-art weather station there.
Benson explained that the county has three options.
The first is to go ahead with the construction of the new runway and take advantage of the state and federal money that is available, which would cost approximately $240,000 to the county.
The second would be to repave the existing runway and do nothing else, which would cost about $400,000.
The third option would be to do nothing, the airport would close down within a couple of years because the existing runway is in such bad shape, and the county would have to somehow come up with $700,000 that must be paid back to the federal government.
“The money is there to do this project,” Benson said. “It doesn’t come from the taxpayers or anyone’s general fund. It comes from pilots like me when we purchase fuel. And if Houston County doesn’t use it, other counties and municipalities will.
“The county can basically have a state-of-the-art airport for $240,000 or do nothing and have to come up with $700,000 to pay the feds back.”
Benson presented the commissioners with a detailed explanation of the three options.
Option one
The first option which will cost about $240,000 would include the following:
• Build a new 4,000-foot runway about 300 feet north of the existing runway.
• The existing runway would be used as a taxi runway. This option would allow for future hangar expansion.
• About 95 acres of land would have to be acquired from adjacent landowners, most of which could be leased back for crop farming. The new runway project would be funded 95 percent by the federal government and five percent by the county.
• Mn/DOT would provide the funding for a state-of-the-art weather station at the airport. Data from the station could be used by area entities, including hydraulic data for farmers and farm-related businesses.
• Mn/DOT would also sponsor a LPV GPS system that would provide both vertical and horizontal guidance for aircraft. This system is currently being utilized at both the La Crosse and Twin Cities airports.
“The federal and state money is there,” Benson said. “If Houston County doesn’t take advantage of it, somebody else will. The money is generated through aircraft user fees, taxes on aviation fuel and aircraft registrations. This doesn’t come out of the main tax pool.”
Option two
Option two would cost the county approximately $400,000, which would be the cost of resurfacing the existing runway and nothing else. Benson said the current runway is one step away from failure. This option would not allow for the GPS system to be reactivated.
Option three
This option would be to do nothing and possibly have the airport closed down within a few years. This option would cost the county approximately $700,000. There is a provision in the original agreement with the federal government if the county’s airport is shut down, the county will have to repay the federal funds it received in the mid-1970s when the airport was built.
Stumbling block
Option one requires the county to get either land easements or land purchases from 15 property owners. According to County EDA Director Jordan Wilms, the county contacted the property owners through a letter and has met with about two-thirds of them. He noted that several property owners are adamantly against the project.
County Highway Engineer Brian Pogodzinski said the farmers would be compensated for their land. He added that in many cases the farmers could still farm the land, but there would be height restrictions placed on it. In other cases, the runway and approach zones would cut fields up into triangles, making it more difficult to farm. Again, farmers would be compensated for this.
“I feel we need to take a real hard look at moving forward with this project,” Commissioner Tom Bjerke said. “If we let the airport go to pot and are forced to shut it down, we’re going to have to come up with $700,000.”
Pogodzinski recommended the board move forward with option one. He said the federal government has funded the FAA Aviation Trust Fund for at least the next two years. The money is still there.
County Commissioner Bob Augedahl who was an ambulance EMT for more than 20 years, said it is very important to have fixed winged (airplane) and helicopter service available during emergency situations. “You come to realize just how important this is when it comes to saving lives,” he noted.
“I don’t think this should be a dead issue because of one or two property owners,” Bob Cummings added. “You build a road of one mile, you can drive a mile. You build a mile of runway, you can see the world.”
You can contact Charlie Warner at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
