By DORIS COOK - Staff Writer
Star Beacon
May 12, 2008 11:11 pm
—
DENMARK TOWNSHIP — Aircraft pilots using the Ashtabula County airport after Memorial Day weekend will have to land and take off from the expanded taxiway area.
Ashtabula County Airport Authority board said Monday the runway will be closed June 1 for at least 30 days for replacing underground drainage pipes.
Koski Construction Co. of Ashtabula has the $525,149 contract for the drainage construction work. Engineer Lance Wanamaker, with airport consultants Michael Baker Jr. Inc.. said it involves opening up four sections of the concrete runway. In addition, the contractor will put new drain tile in a ditch line along the runway.
The open ditch line will be covered with stone and fill, then an overlay of asphalt put down on the runway, Wanamaker said. The ACAA has a $584,000 Federal Aviation Administration grant for this first phase drainage work.
The bid contract was awarded last fall with Koski officials agreeing to hold the price for the project. ACAA board President David Price said the board has not yet received approval from the FAA for planes to use the wider taxiway area during the closure.
“We’ve written officials (FAA) to get permission just for use of the taxiway for take-offs. Koski is to move on the site Memorial Day weekend, then start. We’ve notified users of the closing,” Price told board members Monday.
In other business, the board discussed possible purchase of the older hangar privately built by Tom Kolb, who no longer is flying and has been trying to sell the building. It was decided to have Kolb get the building appraised, then put a price tag on it for the board to consider.
Price is still awaiting a reply from Kent State University — Ashtabula officials on lease arrangements to use one of the large hangars for its aircraft maintenance technician program. He said information is needed from KSUA officials as to how the hangar needs to be laid out for classroom use.
Price said the airport board is anxious to get moving on the renovations needed for the AMT classroom to be ready by September. KSUA officials have indicated the class has a few students signed up already.
“We sent a memorandum of understanding to Dean Susan Stocker several weeks ago. The university officials have not hired the program instructor yet, but have two applicants for the job,” Price said.
Price told the board another special meeting will be set before June 1 to award the bid to remove tree obstructions around the airport facility.
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.