Airport needs more funds to reach finish

By Scott Wright

CENTRE — The Centre-Piedmont-Cherokee County Regional Airport got its last 1,300 ft. of paved runway in January and is officially open for business. But there aren't very many take-offs and landings yet because local pilots have no where to park their planes.

F&M Bank President James Beall, who has led the board in charge of overseeing construction since preliminary work began in 2001, told The Post he knows a couple of pilots who are ready to start building hangars. But he said construction can't begin until crews connect the airport to the local water supply. And the funds for that project are still weeks away.

“It's a $70,000 project and we have already put up our $35,000,” Beall said. “We're waiting on a state grant to come through that will pay for the other half. We anticipate being able to start on that within 30 days. In fact, I would think it will be sooner than that.”

Beall said the board will also file an application in the next couple of weeks seeking funds for additional projects, including a taxiway connecting the runway to property where the private hangars will be constructed.

“We felt like our ability to get future appropriations approved would be easier if our airport was an 'open' airport instead of one that was still undergoing construction,” he said.

Beall said he's not concerned about the FAA's requirements that the Centre Municipal Airport must close down within 12 months of the opening of the new airport.

“The FAA agreed to leave the old airport open for another year,” he said. “We think we could get it extended past that time, because they have indicated that it would not be a problem to extend that if people have not had ample time to build hangars at the new location.”

Beall said the board's next step is to install a six-inch water line from Highway 9 to the airport property so construction can begin on the private hangars and a few other necessary facilities. Beall said he also hopes to find funding to pave the 6,000 ft. entry road to the airport.

“That's a project that will cost close to $900,000, and we haven't given up hope that the state will pave the road for us,” he said. “But we're asking for federal allocations, just in case.”

Beall said the total amount the board plans to seek in the application is about $1.8 million. He said the paperwork should be ready for filing by Nov. 15.

“When the federal funds come in each of our sponsors -- the county and the two cities -- would put up about $31,000 in matching funds,” Beall said.

Unlike the 50/50 match on state funding, federal grants cover 95 percent of costs, he explained. Local sponsors are responsible for the other 5 percent.

“That will bring the total cost of the airport to about $8 million,” he said. “Those are the things we need to do right now and the sooner we get the road and the water line in place the better it is going to be.”

Local businessman and licensed pilot Jay Jordan said he recently spoke with a representative from Huntsville-based Garver Engineering, the firm that is building the airport.

“He told me that they hope to find out about the federal funding for the taxiway by mid-January,” Jordan said. “But there still hasn't been any survey work done so we can go ahead and lease a parcel where we can build a hangar.”

Jordan said he can't begin using the new airport until he has a hangar and a taxiway connecting it to the runway.

“The runway is open now but I've got nowhere to keep my plane,” Jordan said. “I am concerned because radios and electronics in these small planes are expensive and don't do very well in extreme weather conditions.”

Beall said within the next 12 months, he anticipates asking the state to provide matching funds for the construction of an administration building.

“There will be an office building for whoever is going to be managing the airport, along with a pilot's lounge and maybe a snack bar,” he said. “Our plans are to lease the airport out to a manager who would provide fuel and, hopefully, on-site repairs.”

Probate Judge Melvyn Salter said he's talked with officials in south Alabama who created a business plan for their municipal airport that he hopes to someday emulate in Cherokee County.

“In Covington County they've refurbished their airport and now have 12-14 small businesses using their facility that employee about 700 people,” Salter said. “I think there's a real strong possibility, within the next 10 years, of creating something like that at our airport. I think the potential for growth is there, especially considering our proximity to major metropolitan areas, and with Atlanta growing in our direction.”