Master Plan for Wyoming Valley Airport in Final Approach

A master plan for the Wyoming Valley Airport in Forty Fort and Wyoming should be finalized the end of this year, providing a template for future work at the Luzerne-County owned complex, officials said.

Established in 1929, the 110-acre airport was acquired by the county in the 1940s. It requires little county general fund subsidy because the state and federal government have covered most capital project costs, officials have said. The county also receives a portion of revenue from fuel sales at the facility.

As part of decisions on funding for airport projects, the Federal Aviation Administration requires a master plan every 10 years, with the federal agency covering most of the cost. The last plan was completed in 2001.

The airport master plan will guide recommendations for hangar and parking expansion, the alteration of existing runways and renovation and maintenance of airport structures, officials said.

McFarland-Johnson Inc., an engineering company based in Binghamton, New York, was hired to complete the plan.

Council members discussed the status of the airport plan last week during deliberations about the county’s 2020 capital budget.

Two county allocations have been set aside in the capital budget for several years but placed on hold because the airport master plan must be finished to obtain additional FAA funding needed to complete them, officials said.

Those projects, according to the county’s capital plan:

• A 10,000 gallon fuel tank replacement, $100,000

• Airport terminal masonry restoration, $50,000

Councilman Walter Griffith said he wants an update on the master plan to justify the county’s continued inclusion of the two projects in the capital budget.

County Engineer Lawrence Plesh said part of the proposed new master plan has been accepted, and the rest is pending review and approval by the FAA and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Bureau of Aviation.

In response to Griffith’s inquiry, the county posted the 172-page draft airport master plan under the engineering section of the county website at www.luzernecounty.org.

Plesh advised keeping the projects in the capital budget, saying the allocations are needed as matches to receive additional federal funding.

Council ended up tabling a decision on the county’s capital plan until its Aug. 25 meeting.

Councilman Harry Haas said he views the airport as a “total treasure” for the county and its residents and wants to ensure the projects are completed to keep the facility viable long-term.

Haas also encouraged citizens to apply for vacant seats on the 12-member airport advisory board. Three seats are currently available, with information on applying posted on the authorities/boards/commissions section of the county website.

Valley Aviation runs the facility as the fixed base operator. The airport currently has about 57 aircraft based there, the draft report said.

Some taxpayers had suggested selling the airport over the last two decades, but county officials have maintained it’s worth keeping for economic development and quality of life.

The county also owns an office building — the West Side Annex — near the airport complex along Route 11 and last year took possession of a former military building that has been vacant for years. Forty Fort manages the county’s adjacent 35-acre sports complex as part of an overall plan to make the borough a recreation center.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.

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