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The city of Warsaw Board of Aviation Commission tabled a decision Tuesday on an Airport Overlay District (AOD) draft.
Bryan Stumpf, community development studio lead with HWC Engineering, presented the commission with the draft.
The intent of the AOD is to promote the public health, safety and general welfare and to limit the impacts of airport activity on the airport’s neighbors and to provide room for the airport to expand and grow, according to the draft.
Stumpf said with land changes being made around the airport, the ordinance is trying to make sure the commission has a say and review on anything that would increase the number of people and or change flight paths around the airport.
He said HWC has been working with Kosciusko County Area Plan Director Matt Sandy and Warsaw City Planner Justin Taylor on the draft to make sure everything works on the city’s and county’s ends.
Stumpf talked about some of the changes that have been made to the AOD, including verbiage that the commission would be notified of zoning, planning or other petitions that are made in districts around the airport. The commission would be a recommending agency for the petitions. Another change made dealt with height limitations of structures, objects, natural vegetation and terrain.
Stumpf said they are looking to have the AOD adopted and in place by the end of the year and effective Jan. 1, 2027. The AOD will need city and county approval.
Commission member Steven Smilay said he recalled the commission talking about holding a special meeting between September’s meeting and Tuesday about the AOD. He asked what happens with any decision that was supposed to be made at that special meeting.
“That’s what this decision is here,” Airport Manager Nick King said, adding there were more concerns brought up by Taylor and Sandy about some verbiage in the document and those changes couldn’t be made in time for the special meeting.
Smilay said the draft before them was dated three days previously and he hadn’t had time to look it over. He wasn’t prepared to vote on the AOD. Commission member Ernie Wiggins said it is the first time he’s seen the AOD.
The commission will hold a special meeting at 4 p.m. Oct. 20 for the AOD so the commission members have time to review it.
In other business, the commission:
• Learned from Mary Kerstein, project manager with CHA Consulting, the airport received a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration on Sept. 17 to improve runway 18-36. The federal share of the grant is $264,442, the state share of the grant is $6,959 and the local share of the grant is $6,959.
The proposed enhancements to runway 18-36 include the relocation of landing thresholds for both runway 18 and runway 36 ends to increase available runway length, removal of nonstandard pavement and the construction and/or relocation of taxiway B connectors to align with the new runway thresholds.
The commission approved a task order from CHA, which is an amendment to an agreement dated Jan. 13, 2020, between the aviation board and CHA Consulting Inc. The task order includes the scope of work and fee summary.
• Approved a CHA invoice for $37,266.89 for work on the taxiway B rehabilitation project.
• Approved Phend & Brown pay application #2 for $638,936.43 for work on the taxiway B rehabilitation project.
• Approved a CHA invoice for $40,406.66 for work on the runway 9-27 rehabilitation project.
• Approved Phend & Brown pay application #2 for $83,372.27 for work on the runway 9-27 rehabilitation project.
• Approved a CHA invoice for $11,903.45 for work on taxiway A basis of design work.
• Tabled a decision on a contract with Adam Turner to be the commission’s attorney.
