South Central Regional Airport Agency Moving Forward On Land Acquisition
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The South Central Regional Airport Agency (SCRAA) met on Tuesday in Oskaloosa, with one agenda item, which was a closed session discussion that involved real estate.
Pella resident Daniel Nugteren addressed the SCRAA Board questioning, the topic of the closed session. He requested the minutes and audio recordings of the closed session the board was about to take part in. He also asked to have a 5-minute consultation with the Pella representatives on the board prior to the board taking action.
Oskaloosa resident John Bandstra spoke next to the Board, addressing concerns about what the Board’s engineering firm considers as a farm to market road. “Some of the things that your engineering firm has caused litigation over the road, and that continues.”
Bandstra continued on, saying, “I think it’s prudent that you think wisely, because, if you decide to buy or sell real estate, there is no guarantee the airport will happen.”
“I ask you to make wise decisions so we do not get more litigations,” concluded Bandstra in his comments to the Board.
David Barnes is the Chair of the SCRAA Board, and he spoke with Oskaloosa News after the meeting on Tuesday. “What’s decided is that there’s been an appraisial for some land, and that appraisal has determined the value of that land that we’re, [the] first parcel that we’re purchasing for the new airport.”
Barnes then explained what will happen next for the project. “Well then, as you can imagine, when you make an offer for a piece of ground there’s negotiation that goes on. So there will be some negotiation, and then that assumes some conclusion will come to that, then the land will either be purchased or not purchased.”
On the question of selling land at the Oskaloosa Airport, Barnes spoke about what land can and can’t be sold at that facility to help fund the new regional airport. “It absolutely can’t happen until there’s a new airport. From what I understand the FAA says you have to have an actual airport in operation before the others can be closed down. Until there’s a new operational airport, those two airports will be in existence. There is some non-aviation land, non-aeronautical land that’s going to be sold at the Oskaloosa Airport, but not the Pella Airport.”
