$24.2 million expansion proposed for Lady’s Island airport [The Beaufort Gazette, S.C.]

Dec. 21--The Beaufort County Airport on Lady's Island could nearly double in size over the next 16 years, but $24.2 million in renovations to improve safety and meet design standards are needed first, according to a proposed master-plan update.

The most significant upgrade -- costing $9.6 million -- would be extending the main runway from 3,434 feet to 4,400 feet and adding to the runoff zones for planes. The runway could eventually be extended to 5,000 feet to accommodate small jets.

Other plans include increasing parking, extending the taxiway, expanding the terminal and adding hangars.

"It's not cheap, and the biggest price tag is associated with the runway extension because of the cost of operating in the salt marsh and the environmental standards," county airports director Paul Andres said.

The update was prepared for the county by Wilber Smith Associates and will be presented during a joint meeting of Beaufort County and city of Beaufort officials Jan. 18 at the University of South Carolina at Beaufort Performing Arts Center. The public is invited.

The city and county would have to approve the plan, which would then go to the state Aeronatics Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration for approval so it would be eligible for grants. Environmental impact studies would also be needed.

The study predicts the airport's usage will increase if changes are made. The facility is predominantly used by single-engine planes.

In 2008, 58 airplanes or helicopters were based at the airport, and 41,000 take-offs and landings were made.

By 2028, 92 airplanes could be based there and 74,100 take-offs and landings made, the plan estimates.

The length of the runway is already limiting the airport's capabilities. For example, newer, small corporate jets do not land due to insurance concerns, according to the study. Some older models still use the facility, Andres said, and he believes more jets will if the airport expands.

If the airport had a 5,000-foot runway, air taxi and charter service NetJets Inc. has said it would provide service to this "desirable" area, according to the plan update. There is a shortage of 5,000-foot runways in the southeast corner of the state, according to the 2008 S.C. Airports System Plan.

The proposed Lady's Island master plan has three phases, all of which include hangar construction. The facility's 34 hangar spots are currently full and there is a waiting list, Andres said.

During the first five years, the runway safety areas would be extended, the taxiway lengthened to match the runway and the terminal and parking area expanded.

The following five years would focus on extending the runway and taxiway to 4,400 feet. The fuel facilities will be relocated during the final decade.

The 20-year plan does not include the final extension of the runway to 5,000 feet.

Safety areas of cleared, solid land need to be increased at both ends of the runway from the current 125 feet and 130 feet, respectively, to 300 feet each to meet FAA regulations.

Once the runway extension is added, 19 acres of salt water marsh would be filled in or developed.

The Coastal Conservation League will keep an eye on the plan due to concerns about filling marsh, according to Reed Armstrong, South Coast Office project manager.

Two alternatives were not recommended for the master plan because they would involve acquiring land, demolishing homes and businesses, rerouting U.S. 21 or other changes.

Follow reporter Erin Moody at twitter.com/EyeOnBeaufort.

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(c)2011 The Beaufort Gazette (Beaufort, S.C.)

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