Festus Debates Future of GA Airport

The future of the Festus Memorial Airport once again has reached a crossroads.

An 18-month study revealed that expanding the 2,200-foot runway to 5,000 feet is feasible but could take about $8.5 million over 20 years from Festus to do so.

The city's contribution could be cut in half should it become eligible for federal funding, a privilege it lost when a landfill was built on the south end of the airport property. That landfill has been decommissioned, and City Administrator Steve Stoll said Festus might have a good chance of attracting federal assistance.

Even so, Festus, which has an annual budget of about $13 million, will have a hard time covering the cost, Stoll said.

"If the city isn't willing to make the airport more than it is now, should we hold onto it or just cut it loose?" Stoll asked. "It's not an easy decision. It's been owned by the city for a long time and it's a valuable piece of land. But it's difficult to believe the council will want to invest this kind of money."

But the City Council has been here before.

Festus council members have discussed selling the airport several times in the past because it is in an unincorporated area and Festus is unable to collect sales taxes, Mayor Gene Doyle said.

Doyle said he would like to see the airport remain open but believes the county should take ownership of the $1.9 million property - an alternative he knows the county cannot afford. And as for the city's keeping it, "I'm against owning property that doesn't make us money," he said.

But the airport's manager, Steve Vogt, is hoping council members will consider the economic benefits of having the only airport in the county. Vogt also is a member of the Citizens for Airport Economic Expansion, which runs the airport for the city.

"We're not a bunch of rich playboy pilots looking for a place to keep our airplanes," said Vogt, adding that the group provided about $5,000 toward the cost of the $60,000 study with the Missouri Department of Transportation paying the remainder. "We think it's important for the economy of the area, and we want to see it grow."

Vogt also believes the airport could make enough money to cover its costs should it be expanded. A longer runway would do away with pilots' concerns about the future of the airport and increase hangar-rental revenue as well as boost business and leisure travel to the area, he said. "We've had this cloud hanging over us for quite some time," he said. "We don't really feel there are problems that are insurmountable. The study showed that the airport can be expanded, and I hope the council will keep that in mind when deciding how to proceed from this point."

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