Seaside Airport improvements
Fast FactsSeaside Airport ImprovementsCost: nearly $300,000Project: Drainage work, security fencing, helicopter parking
SEASIDE - A nearly $300,000 fix up at the Seaside Airport is underway and the project is likely not going to cost the city a dime.
"There should be virtually no cost to the city for this project," said Neal Wallace, Seaside Public Works director.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airport improvement grant money will cover 95 percent of the costs; the other five percent will come from the Connect Oregon III lottery-backed transportation-funding program, according to Wallace.
The Seaside Airport improvements include new security fencing and gates, drainage improvements, helicopter parking and removal of tie-down anchors.
"Last year we conducted an evaluation of the airport's drainage system and found that the system has basically failed, with collapsed pipes and other factors causing water to flood the airport more than normal and also back up into the mobile home park next door," said Randall Henderson, Seaside Airport Commission chairman. "This improvement project involves replacing several pipe runs, fixing and adding some catch-basins, and general improvements such as increasing some of the slope angles."
The airport fencing is an ongoing project that was partly completed last year.
"The FAA likes doing security improvements for Homeland Security reasons, and while I'm frankly not as concerned about that, I do feel that people are a lot more likely to fly in and stay overnight if they have a secure area to park their planes," said Henderson.
The helicopter pad is simply a matter of marking out an area on the ramp, to ensure that helicopters such as Life Flight, Coast Guard, and others have a designated spot to park without conflicting with fixed-wing operations.
The tie-down improvements are a loose end left over from the hangar construction and parking lot relocation.
"After those projects we wound up with some empty fence-post holes and obsolete tie-down pads that need to be removed and filled so they don't cause problems for planes taxiing over them," Henderson said.
The City of Seaside and its airport commission decided to split the project into two phases, launching the first phase improvements this year, and applying for another FAA grant next year for the second phase.
"It's getting late in the season to start such a project but it's going out to bid now," Henderson said. "We'll just have to see how much of the improvements can actually be accomplished this year."
According to Henderson, the Seaside Airport's primary use is as a landing strip for private flyers to come and enjoy the amenities that Seaside has to offer.
"Folks just coming in to shop at the stores, eat at the restaurants, and stay in the hotels remains its main economic benefit to the area," said Henderson. "The hangar construction and infrastructure improvements have all contributed to the local economy by using local contractors."
He pointed out that the airport hangars bring in some income from the lease on the land and there are tentative plans for another bank of hangars. Henderson remains hopeful that aviation-related businesses will locate at or near the Seaside Airport.
"Like just about everything else, general aviation has suffered in the current economic climate so we aren't seeing as much benefit as we have in the past," said Henderson. "But I'm sure we will see some more opportunities once things turn around, even if it's just more people flying in to visit our city.
Wallace also remains hopeful that new businesses would locate at the airport, but said the hope and reality are two different things.
"The reality is that with the number of trips generated at the airport, the size of the runway and adverse weather during the winter, I don't see a high level of investment at the airport."
Source: http://www.seasidesignal.com
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