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Airport officials OK drawings for hangars
By Lynn Hotaling
Local airport officials Thursday (Dec. 2) approved plans for a hangar complex that will house 16 airplanes.
The vote to move forward on the drawings completed by architects Pierce, Brinkley, Cease and Lee of Asheville was unanimous.
The three new buildings will total approximately 25,500 square feet and will include 16 hangars as well as terminal space. Two will be constructed in front of the existing gang hangar and the third will be built where the fuel tanks are currently located, according to Tom McClure, chairman of the Jackson County Airport Authority.
Cost of the project is expected to be $1.2 million; authority officials plan to fund the hangars through a low-interest loan through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
With Thursday's approval of plans, the project is expected to go out for bids Dec. 15, McClure said. According to McClure's timetable, bids will be opened Jan. 15 and construction can begin in early February with a target completion date in May.
All 16 of the new hangars are already spoken for, McClure said.
In other business Dec. 2:
– Authority board members reiterated their intent to upgrade the airport's problematic fuel system.
After voting in November to purchase a new system for $3,000, McClure learned that the authority could secure a better one for the same price, but said he needed board approval to continue negotiations.
McClure also proposed waiting to install the new system until fuel tanks are relocated to accommodate the new hangar construction.
Board member agreed that the authority should purchase the new system but delay installation.
– Board members tabled a request from Metrostat Technologies to locate a freestanding tower at the airport.
Some members said the $500 per month rent Metrostat proposed was too low. Others indicated they needed more information about Metrostat's plans before reaching a decision.
– McClure told board members the authority needs to secure an engineering firm to design a plan to restore some 500 feet of runway space that was damaged several years ago by a slide. Estimated cost for that project is between $4 and $5 million.
According to McClure, Congressman Charles Taylor (R-Brevard) has indicated a willingness to seek federal funding next year for the runway project, and the authority needs to be ready to move forward should the money become available.
"Discretionary money left at the end of a year usually goes to those who have their plans and are ready to start," he said.
Based on a $4.5 million price tag, an engineering design would cost an estimated $280,000, McClure said.
The authority's next scheduled meeting is 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28.
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