PARK TWP. — The small, historic airport on the corner of Ottawa Beach Road and 152nd Avenue will continue to operate as an airport for the foreseeable future, after the Park Township Board of Trustees voted on Sept. 30 to continue to use the township property for aviation.
It was a "pivotal night," according to airport supporter David Field, for the airport, which has survived a long history of struggling to secure financial resources — and public support.
What was the Sept. 30 meeting about?
The meeting's stated purpose was to discuss the future of the Park Township Airport and the 80 acres of land it sits on.
"This issue has needed attention for many, many years," said Township Supervisor Jerry Hunsburger at the opening of the meeting.
In a series of votes, the township voiced its views on the direction and future of the airport property, beginning with unanimously voting to continue using the township-owned land as a public asset. The board voted 5-2 to continue to use the airport property for aviation, after some residents have called for the airport to be shut down.
The board also voted to continue to allow the same kinds of aviation activities currently allowed. Hunsburger said this vote was to give "comfort" to residents who worried that proposed changes at the airport would allow bigger aircraft to fly into the airport.
The board was split 4-3 on many of the issues, including the issue of pursuing a general utility license from the state of Michigan, with board members Hunsburger, Skip Keeter, Diane Nestel and Jan Steggerda supporting and Jim Gerard, George Jacob and Steve Spoelhof opposed.
What is a "general utility" airport and why does the township board want Park Township Airport to become one?
General utility is a classification of airports designated by the Michigan Department of Transportation. It's the next level up from the Park Township Airport's current classification as a basic utility airport. General utility airports are eligible for grants from the state to fund runway improvements, whereas basic utility airports are not.
In order to upgrade, Park Township Airport needs to extend the length of its usable runway to at least 1,800 feet. Even though the airport's runway is about 3,000 feet long, less than 1,800 feet of it is actually usable due to trees in the flight path that result in a displaced threshold.
The township will have obtain easements or agreements with neighboring property owners to the east of the runway to cut down or trim these trees in order to achieve general utility status. The AirPark master plan estimates those costs at $160,000.
The township board voted to pursue general utility status for the airport but also voted against using eminent domain or spending any taxpayer money on tree cutting or obtaining easements.
The Park Township Airport Historical Association, formerly Ottawa Aviation, has a commitment from a donor to cover the costs of the easements and tree trimming, according to PTAHA board president Jeff Vos.
In another motion, the township board said the township attorney and township manager should be involved in the PTAHA's negotiations of easements with neighboring property owners. When township attorney Dan Martin pointed out that this move contradicted the earlier motion resolving not to spend any taxpayer money on easements, since Martin will be paid with taxpayer money for his time, the township approved the motion without addressing Martin's comment.
Who will pay for the airport and its needed infrastructure improvements?
The township board on Sept. 30 said they would commit township funds to the day-to-day operational needs of the airport but didn't commit any funding to capital expenditures.
Hunsburger said the board would need more information about specific costs before agreeing to devote any taxpayer money to improving the airport. Any capital expenditures will need prior board approval.
The board debated the possibility of using tax dollars to fund airport operations and improvements.
"I don't own a dog, but my taxes pay for the dog park," said Keeter.
Gerard called that a "specious argument," saying that the millages that fund the dog park and the bike paths were voted on by the residents of Park Township. He said capital improvements to the airport should be funded privately.
A millage at 1/10th of a mill to fund airport operations was floated in the AirPark plan as "the most direct and feasible approach to long term sustainability." The airport is predicted to need about $100,000-$150,000 of new money each year to support its operations and upkeep, according to the plan.
One resident who spoke during public comment said the AirPark plan was "fantastic" but asked if the township could first vote down the millage that township residents currently pay to support the West Michigan Regional Airport before approving a millage for the Park Township Airport.
Some commenters during the public hearing argued no taxpayer money should be spent unless there is a millage so that residents of Park Township can vote on the issue.
What about the AirPark plan?
The AirPark plan — a vision that includes millions of dollars of possible improvements to the airport property, including ideas for a museum, playground and community building, aimed at making the airport more widely attractive for public use — was on the agenda for Sept. 30, but after two and a half hours of discussion on the airport, the board decided to push off discussion of the AirPark ideas to Oct. 24.
Nestel said the AirPark vision is just a set of ideas for inspiration. Which ideas will be pursued is still up for discussion, she said.
"I don't think there's anyone on this board that says we're jumping to put $6.5 million into this area, so I wouldn't assume that that is the price," Nestel said.
The total cost of every proposed improvement to the airport and surrounding land in the AirPark master plan is around $6.5 million, according to the plan. But one of the elements in the AirPark is already off the table, according to Hunsburger — the small "airport factory." A builder of ultralight aircraft had, according to the plan, expressed interest in relocating his business to the airport property.
Keeter said he'd like to see more opportunities for public feedback on the various elements proposed in the AirPark plan.
The AirPark vision will be discussed further on Oct. 24.
— Contact reporter Carolyn Muyskens at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @cjmuyskens.
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