(Spencer)– The Federal Aviation Administration is set to begin creating a “master plan” for the Northwest Iowa Regional Airport in Spencer.
The airport’s board of trustees received an update on the FAA’s master plan during their meeting last week. It will look at the airport’s long-range development needs over the next 20 years.
Jerry Searle of Snyder and Associates of Ankeny will help create the master plan. Besides an inventory of existing conditions, Snyder says it will include a forecast of aviation activity and a facility requirement determination. Searle says it will also address the need for commercial air service in Spencer.
The master plan will also include an environmental review of the airport, an airport layout plan, development schedule, financial plan and airport planning process. An airport Resource Group will be formed in the near future to provide local input.
The FAA will pay 95 percent of the cost to complete the master plan; the airport is responsible for the remainder.
Searle will be back in Spencer to begin the master plan on September 19th. It’s expected to take just over a year to complete.
(Story from Danielle Hitchings of sister station KDWD Hot 100 in Spencer.).
