Study to Look at Future Oak Ridge Airport Planned

Oak Ridge City Council unanimously voted at a recent meeting to apply for a grant to make sure a planned Oak Ridge Airport will work well for the city.

City staff stated in a memo it expects the grant to be $50,000, but may be up to $200,000. The funding will come from the Metropolitan Planning Organization through the Tennessee Department of Transportation. The city will have to match the grant by 10%.

Oak Ridge Deputy City Manager Jack Suggs explained to Council that the grant would make sure "at the end of the day we don't have a sleepy little airport that's sitting there and not benefiting the community."

The city is looking to assemble a working group of "community leaders, educators and industry experts to carefully examine the proposed airport, including its weaknesses and strengths," stated the staff memo, included in the December City Council agenda.

The city has, however, already taken steps toward the airport's creation, including getting needed approvals and negotiating for land. The airport is planned to be located in west Oak Ridge near the former K-25 site. It will not be for commercial passenger flights, but rather be for general aviation, including cargo and private planes. Proponents have said it will help bring industry to the area.

City Council member Ellen Smith voted for the grant, but said she'd like to have another grant to fund a study other types of transportation in Oak Ridge, including bus services, as well as issues involving cyclists, drivers, wheelchair users and pedestrians.

"We have a lot of people having trouble just getting around," she said. "Just navigating the community is an issue."

Suggs said he would look into getting those kinds of grants.

City Manager Mark Watson gave City Council other updates on the airport at the same Dec. 13 meeting. He said 106 acres connected to a railroad track property is being transferred to the city for the airport.

He also spoke about a hearing to review the affects a future viewing platform for the K-25 site, to be developed by UCOR as a historic exhibit, will have on the future airport.

Ben Pounds is a staff reporter for The Oak Ridger. Call him at (865) 441-2317, follow him on Twitter @Bpoundsjournal and email him at [email protected].

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