FAA gives OK to plan for layout

The airport layout plan is approved. Finally.

Completing a process that began nearly five years ago, Portland Board of Aviation learned Wednesday that the Federal Aviation Administration has approved the plan for Portland Municipal Airport.

Airport manager Hal Tavzel also gave a reminder that the facility’s annual pancake breakfast and fly-in will be held Saturday.

Jason Clearwaters of Butler, Fairman and Seufert, the airport’s engineering firm, told the board that notification of the FAA’s approval came Aug. 5. Work on the new layout plan began in late 2014.

The plan, updated for the first time in about two decades, details how the airport looks now and sets goals for projects down the road. Based on those details, a capital improvement plan is created to prioritize future projects at the airport.

The No. 1 priority for the facility is the extension of the runway to 5,500 feet from the current 4,000 feet, with plans for that to be completed in phases over the next couple of years. Other priorities include expanding the terminal apron, adding a wildlife control and security fence and building a new hangar.

Clearwaters reported continued progress toward the runway construction, saying the airport received approval from Indiana Department of Natural Resources to work in Alexander Ditch. The construction permit is now in place, and design of the extension is in progress.

The expectation is that grading and drainage work will be completed in 2020, followed by paving and light in 2021.