Airport authority accepts grants for runway project
The Fayette County Airport Authority accepted two grants Tuesday for its runway safety area extension project and a third grant for office equipment. Authority board members voted unanimously in favor of accepting a $2,220,273 federal grant and a $58,428 state grant that were administered by the state Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Aviation.
A $5,000 state grant that Sen. Rich Kasunic helped obtain for office equipment for the terminal building was also accepted.
The authority will have to match the $58,428 state grant.
The runway grants will be used for the first phase of the safety area improvements relocation project that involves extending the useable part of the runway from the existing 3,458 feet to 3,800 feet by relocating a paved safety area or threshold, which is not supposed to be used for landing or taking off, at the end of the longer runway, authority chairman Fred K. Davis explained after board meeting.
In order to extend the runway the authority is working with Duke Energy, which owns a natural gas pipeline that lies under the runway extension area.
The authority has agreed to pay all costs associated with replacing the existing pipeline with heavier gauge pipe so it can withstand the weight of the runway and planes.
Duke has agreed to the project, which is expected to begin next spring or summer.
In unrelated business, the authority agreed to send a letter to Angela Zimmerlink, chairwoman of the Fayette County Commissioners to express concerns about the construction of a cell phone tower near the airport.
Davis said some excavation work has begun at the site, but no one contacted the authority so it could determine whether the 190-foot tower would interfere with navigable air space.
The tower is being built about 3,870 feet from the end of the runways across Route 119 from the airport, he said.
The letter will ask if provisions in the county’s old zoning ordinance that protected the airport can be included in the new ordinance, Davis said.
Board member Jesse Wallace said the new ordinance takes effect on Nov. 1 and the zoning permit for the tower should have to meet requirement of the old ordinance.
In other business, airport manager Sam Cortis said lighting struck and damaged the facility’s beacon light about two weeks ago.
He said the light is no longer manufactured and it could be difficult to obtain parts.