Airport to claim land

• Airport Authority Board

Airport Authority Board

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Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport Manager Matthew Remynse announced to the Airport Authority Commission that deadlines have been set for both the process of eminent domain regarding the airport’s pursuit of condemnation for runway protection zones and its corresponding discovery period at a meeting held Tuesday night at the airport.

“The judge set an April 1 deadline for the discovery period and a July 1 deadline for the eminent domain process to be completed at a recent court hearing,” Remynse said.

Eminent domain allows the government to take someone’s private property or property rights away for government, public, civic, or economic use with monetary compensation but without the owner’s consent.

The airport originally sought to buy the land from nearby landowners in 2007 because the Federal Aviation Administration requires it to have runway protection zones, Remynse said.

“The runway protection zones are areas of land that have to be clear in the event of a plane crash,” Remynse said, “but because attempts at negotiating the purchase of the land were unsuccessful the airport was left with the option of eminent domain.”

In other business, the Airport Authority Board said it is close to achieving its goal of having 10,000 passengers by the end of the year.

“Right now we are sitting at about 9,600 flights,” Airport Authority Commission Chairman Jon Frantsvog said.

Remynse added he is fairly confident it will hit the 10,000 revenue passengers in-plane mark with holiday travel this month.

“If the goal is reached, the Airport would receive $1 million dollars in federal funding,” said Airport Authority Commissioner Thomas Reichert.

Remynse said the money would be used for a variety of airport needs.

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