PARK TWP. — On Tuesday, Park Township residents voted to essentially shutter the 83-year-old Park Township Airport.

Earning 43.7 percent of voters' support, a millage failed that would have funded future operations and renovations to the airport's aging runway. According to unofficial tallies from the Ottawa County Clerk's Office Tuesday night, 3,581 voted yes and 4,612 voted no on the millage.

The millage's failure will trigger the removal of the airport's runway by October. The airport will, after that point, be closed to airplane use.

About a dozen pilots are based at the airport and dozens more from across the country fly in and out each year.

Park Township trustees who proposed the 10-year, 0.185-mill tax last fall said the millage would act as a referendum on whether to keep the airport open to airplane use.

Township officials said the other groups that use the airport, including a local chapter of the Civil Air Patrol that is based at Park Township Airport, will be able to continue to use the airport for non-airplane aviation activities, but those groups have said their continued use of the airport will be in question if the runway is removed.

Millage opponents argued the township's land — and their tax dollars — should be used for something else.

The township board is expected to kick off a public process to decide what is next for the township's 80 acres at 152nd Avenue and Ottawa Beach Road. Though some in the township have worried the township board could sell the property to developers, the township's trustees have publicly expressed their unanimous support for keeping the land public.

Township trustees Jim Gerard, Steve Spoelhof and George Jacob, who opposed the millage, issued a joint statement to The Sentinel Tuesday night:

"Today's vote was quite a turnout after a spirited campaign. We'd like to thank residents for weighing in on this critical decision.

"Many neighbors have already suggested great ideas for the property and we look forward to a fun ideation process. We celebrate the wonderful history of the airport and are thankful certain aviation activities will continue."

In a public Facebook post late Tuesday, the Friends of the Park Township Airport thanked supporters of the airport.

— Contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens.

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