Three Priority Sites Selected for Oldham County Airport

The Oldham County Airport Board has identified the top three sites for a potential General Aviation facility.  Board Chair, Jonathan Westbrook, presented the sites to the Oldham County Fiscal Court at it's meeting on Tuesday, November 6, 2007. 

The three sites identified were the “Blakemore Site” (located one mile east of Hwy 53 between Blakemore Lane and Hwy 22); “Dawkins Road Site” (located north of the Kentucky State Reformatory); and “Gathright Hill Site” (located between Hwy 53 and Hwy 22 near the Oldham-Shelby county line).  All three sites will be studied further, and any one of the sites could be selected as the final location if the project moves forward.

More than 17 different sites in the eastern portion of the county were evaluated.  Sites were assessed based on residential impact, topography, obstructions, environmental impact, potential development costs and a number of other criteria.  Sites were limited to the eastern parts of Oldham County due to FAA funding guidelines that dictate a 30-minute proximity from Bowman Field.

“This has been a long and deliberate process since we acquired the grant from the state in December of 2006,” board chairman Jonathan Westbrook said.  “Choosing a site is one of the most important steps to the success of this initiative and to the residents of Oldham County.  We want to make sure we have taken everything we can into consideration, from technical data to opinions expressed by residents at our public meetings.”

Landowners for the selected sites will be notified in writing that their site has been identified.  There will be a public meeting on Monday, November 12, 2007 at 6 p.m. at the John Black Community Center, 1551 North Highway 393 in Buckner.  Board members and Entran officials will discuss how the top three sites were chosen, why other sites were not selected, and outline the next steps.

The top three sites will be the focus of continuous study.  A final site will be recommended to the board by Entran based on a technical review of environmental, archeological and engineering factors as required by the FAA.  Only then could the airport board request funding to purchase a site.

“We have done everything exactly by the book following FAA guidelines,” Westbrook said.  “This is a tremendous opportunity for Oldham County, but it is also a project that requires diligence to ensure it is right for our community.”

Oldham County will only be responsible for 2.5% of the total costs, with 97.5% of the remaining costs being paid for by state and federal funds from the FAA Facilities Fund. 

Westbrook said the timeline for funding has been another important consideration throughout this process.

“Lots of counties across the state share our interest in economic development because it translates to improved roads, improved services, and sustained quality of living.  Unfortunately, the funds for these facilities are finite so we must be timely in our efforts to be competitive with other counties that are not as far along as us but are trying to reach the same goals.”

The airport board’s presentation to fiscal court included data showing the economic impact the airport could have on the region, as much as $10 million annually in the form of goods, services and wages both directly and indirectly created by the airport.

If a site is acquired, it could be two to four years for engineering, design and construction to be completed.  There will be additional public meetings to provide updated information on the progress and findings of the airport board and its consultants.