Fairmont planning new hangar

3 Jan 2018


The Fairmont City Council took the initial step to expand hangar space at the Fairmont Municipal Airport.

Troy Nemmers, city engineer/public works director, told the council there has been a significant investment in construction projects at the airport over the past several years, which prompted the Airport Advisory Board to look at expanding the users at the airport. Adding an additional hangar would aid in increasing the number of users.

“This is a pre-application for funding to start the design phase. For this project, the city’s cost share would be about 5 percent of $1 million,”Nemmers said. “This is the first step of a pretty significant investment at the airport.”

The city’s $55,000 share would be spread out over three years, with the Federal Aviation Administration paying the bulk of the cost.

Airport manager Lee Steinkamp said the existing hangars are full. There are five hangars that house 29 planes based at the airport, and a portion of one of the buildings is kept open for transient aircraft whose pilots require their aircraft to be housed overnight.

“We do have a waiting list, and it will fill,” Steinkamp said of the proposed hangar.

Long-time advisory board member Dennis Turner also spoke in support of a new hangar.

“We’ve done all the required items as far as runways, taxiways and lighting,”he said. “This is the next logical step.”

The council voted unanimously to authorize city staff to submit the pre-application for the design of the new hangar, which could be ready for tenants in late 2020.

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