(Wahpeton)– A private developer wants to build an airport in western Dickinson county.
Westar Holdings, L.C. of Scottsdale, Arizona has filed an application for a conditional use permit for land in section 27 of Lakeville Township west of Wahpeton.
The company has an option to purchase the land, which is zoned agricultural. Under the county’s zoning ordinance, aviation facilities are a permitted conditional use in an agricultural district. The Dickinson County Board of Adjustment will hold a public hearing on the conditional use permit application at 7:00 p.m. Monday, December 18th at the Community Building in Spirit Lake.
According to the application on file at the Dickinson County Planning and Zoning Office, Westar Holdings would take title and possession of a homestead on the land January 2nd, 2008 and the rest of the farm land March 1st, 2008, once a tennants lease runs out.
The application goes on to state that there’s one occupied residence within 800 feet of the proposed airport site. The Flying Cloud Wind Farm is several miles west of the proposed site.
In addition to a runway, the company also wants to construct hangars and an aviation-related office on the site.
The application also states that funding for the project will be provided by “private and other sources”.
The application is signed by Scott Nylen on behalf of Westar Holdings. Nylen owns a property management business in Sioux City. The application says he plans to move that business to the Iowa Great Lakes in the event the airport is built.
Previous efforts to build a new publicly funded airport in Dickinson county met considerable opposition and were eventually shelved.
