Oskaloosa To Begin Process Of Liquidating Current Airport Ground

An aerial view of the land that might be impacted by a new regional airport. (file photo)

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The South Central Regional Airport Agency met this past week to consider a couple of task orders.

Those task orders included giving direction to HDR Engineering to conduct a public information meeting to satisfy Iowa Code Chapter 6B for governmental projects planning to acquire agricultural property.

Jerry Searle, a consultant with HDR Engineering, explained that the informational meeting will provide an opportunity for the property owners “to learn of the proposed action and provide additional comment prior to the acquisition process being officially initiated.”

The public information meeting could occur sometime in February of 2018, said Searle.

The scope of the services for the public meeting includes preparation and mailing of meeting notices.

HDR will also prepare the required exhibits and maps for the public information meeting.

The meeting will include explaining the purpose of the project and representatives will be present to describe the land acquisition process.

The public hearing process could cost nearly $28,000 to complete.

The board also approved the second task order to HDR Engineering to request a federal release of Oskaloosa Airport real estate.

This release would also have to clear the Department of Defense since the current Oskaloosa Airport was built during World War II as a Navy training facility.

The SCRAA is proceeding with the acquisition of land for the purpose of constructing the replacement airport. The FAA has initially concurred with the City of Oskaloosa’s desire to dispose of assets at the existing Oskaloosa Municipal Airport that are not needed for an aeronautical purpose. Revenue from the disposal of non-aeronautical land will be used to acquire land for the new airport. The City of Oskaloosa is obligated to maintain the existing Oskaloosa Municipal Airport to B-II standards until such time as the new airport is fully operational.

Conversations about land rental of cropland at the current Oskaloosa airport will need to take place before any land is released to the market.

The board didn’t set a time or day for their next meeting, but the board typically holds their annual meeting in February.