Avery leaves Airport in good hands and with big plans

Avery leaves Airport in good hands and with big plans

Commission lays out longterm improvements

news@theeveningtimes.com

After a pair of public information meetings concerning development at the West Memphis Airport, the airport’s consulting engineer presented the drawings to the airport commission as they met this month. Stacey Morris with ETI Corporation laid out the developments with an aerial photo.

“We had our second public meeting,” said Morris. “We had good attendance. It was good to see the interest of the community in the airport. The meeting went well.”

With the public duly informed, working with regulators became the next item on the to-do list for the engineer. A changing of the guard at the Army Corps. of Engineers had the airport waiting for a wetlands study conclusion.

“The only jurisdictional waters south of Broadway are across from hanger one and two, where there is a (drainage) pipe running into the bayou” said Morris. “We got that done.”

Morris said he already worked with new Airport Manager Candra Suiter on drawings. Suiter started the first of the month as her predecessor Lynda Avery retired Sept. 15.

“We’ve got good comments on the drawings and we are making good process, having all inquiries answered and wrapped up soon,” said Morris of the new master plan.

Chairman David Pike wanted to nail down a completion date and asked about the next Airport Improve- ment Plan (AIP 27).

“Will we have it done before year end?” asked Pike. “What about AIP 27?”

Morris indicated the groundwork had been laid and required preliminary work had been completed. The improvements included paving around a hanger and an apron expansion with a connection to the taxi way. The work is big so three bid schedules will be produced, one for doing it all at once and option allowing the work to be done in two separate phases. A line of new fencing on the north side is flagged and awaiting surveyors to plot. Lowering tree height around the airport is anticipated. A small runway extension is planned in the next 15 years.

FAAstandards now require pilots to make a turn from the taxi way to the runway rather than rolling straight out. The new plan allows for changes along runway Charlie to meet this latest requirement.

“We are ahead of schedule we will bid the project in January,” said Morris. “We have all the stuff that takes some real time; we’ve got that down. Things like the environmental coordination are all complete. It is ready for the next stage, a review from ETI and then it’s set to submit for a grant. We have verbal commitments for the grant, but it is not 100 percent to until we get it.”

By John Rech