Sunday, November 18, 2012

Columbus Municipal (KOLU), Nebraska: Land buy near airport awaits OK of council

COLUMBUS — The city has reached an agreement to buy the final properties it needs to clear the runway protection zone at Columbus Municipal Airport.

Columbus City Council will consider purchasing 9.56 acres of farm ground from John and Sonja Jacobsen when it meets 7 p.m. Monday at Council Chambers, 1369 25th Ave.

If approved, the city will pay $311,742 for the three tracts with $210,470 of that amount eligible for reimbursement from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA is offering to pay 90 percent of the purchase costs on two of the properties since it’s requiring the acquisitions to meet federal design criteria — which stipulate an airport must own the protection zone to ensure the safety of people and property on the ground should an aircraft overshoot the runway during a landing or takeoff.

A parcel valued at $78,000 isn’t located in the runway protection zone, but City Administrator Joe Mangiamelli said the Jacobsens didn’t want to sell all but 2.4 acres of their farmland.

This piece, located just north of Lost Creek Parkway along Monastery Road (18th Avenue), could be resold or developed by the city, making it ineligible for reimbursement.

The other properties are located immediately west of this tract.

The city already has completed purchase agreements on four other properties located in the protection zone. These residences also are located north of the airport in a small neighborhood along Old Monastery Road and 46th Street, just south of the parkway.

Airport Manager Mark Cozad said all of the homeowners except Bradley and Amy Jareske have relocated. The Jareskes are building a new house, he said, which should be completed near the end of the year.

Once all the properties are vacant, Cozad said the city will auction the houses. The FAA will receive a portion of these sales.

Plans are to lease all seven properties for farming after the houses are removed. “In the runway protection zone, you can farm in that area, but that’s about it,” Cozad said.

Acquisition and relocation expenses to clear the entire runway protection zone total $1.33 million, not including tax differential payments due over the next three years. Most of those expenses were eligible for 90 percent reimbursement from the FAA and a small amount of state funding.

The city’s share came mainly from entitlement money allocated to the airport by the FAA and some sales tax revenue.

Columbus Municipal Airport receives $150,000 in entitlement funds each year, money Cozad said can now be put toward other projects such as construction of new terminal and equipment storage buildings and perimeter fencing.

“As soon as we get those homes paid for, we can start building that entitlement money again,” he said.

Article:   http://columbustelegram.com

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KOLU

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