The Virginia Highlands Airport Authority is asking Washington County to pay half the cost of hiring a resident project representative to oversee construction of a nearly $1 million project to erect seven box hangars to house aircraft at the airport in Abingdon.
The county’s half of the $28,320 cost would be $14,160. The request will be considered Tuesday night by the Washington County Board of Supervisors. The airport authority would pay the other half.
In a May 13 letter to the board, airport Manager Mickey Hines said the hangars are being added because there continues to be a strong demand for airport hangar space in the region.
To help fund the $930,000 project, the airport secured grants from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Virginia Department of Aviation, plus a loan from the Virginia Resource Authority. But those agencies won’t approve funding for an on-site professional supervisor, the letter states.
The airport authority believes it is “critical to have on site professional supervision during construction,” Hines wrote. The representative would be on site half of each day.
Construction is expected to begin in mid-June. The project will involve pavement milling and new pavement and installation of storm water drainage, electric power and a security fence. The building will be erected, and there will also be pavement markings, seeding and erosion control, Hines said.
When completed, the seven aircraft will generate more than $12,000 each year for the county, the airport manager said.
Prior to the regular 6:30 p.m. meeting, the board will meet in called session at 5:30 p.m. to review the Virginia Department of Transportation’s six-year secondary roads program. Jeff Harrison, VDOT’s Abingdon residency administrator, will discuss a potential new process for funding secondary roads in the county, according to the agenda.
During the regular meeting, the board of supervisors will hold a public hearing on VDOT’s six-year plan.
The meetings will be held at the county government building, 1 Government Center Place in Abingdon. View the agenda here.
