A pilot re-fuels his plane at the Marion Airport. CREDIT RICHARD PRATT
Plans for possible renovation and expansion of the Marion Airport are now in limbo, as city officials say they plan to take the next year to re-evaluate the airport’s long-term Airport Layout Plan (ALP) and the city’s relationship with LuxAir Aviation, the airport’s fixed-base operator. The ALP, completed in 2017 with a $29 million overall […]
Plans for possible renovation and expansion of the Marion Airport are now in limbo, as city officials say they plan to take the next year to re-evaluate the airport’s long-term Airport Layout Plan (ALP) and the city’s relationship with LuxAir Aviation, the airport’s fixed-base operator.The ALP, completed in 2017 with a $29 million overall price tag, calls for a number of improvements at the small commuter and training airport on the east side of Marion. Chief among them: The addition of a second runway running east and west, joining the airport’s current north-south runway.At its April 7 meeting, the Marion City Council voted to table consideration of a resolution to suspend portions of the ALP, including the proposed east-west runway, which was projected to cost $8.9 million as of 2017.Officials have said the existing north-south runway is frequently unusable during cross-wind conditions. When winds are blowing from west to east – often the case in Iowa – some planes are unable to take off or land on the north-south runway for safety reasons. A new east-west runway could improve the airport’s operational capacity during such conditions.As a result of the resolution passed by the council April 7, Marion City Manager Ryan Waller said the city of Marion will take the next year to re-evaluate the ALP and the city’s relationship with LuxAir, which manages overall airport operations.“It was meant to get some clarity and to start talking about the long term,” Mr. Waller said. “Once we have that, we can take the next year to talk with each other about the future of the airport. “What does our operating relationship look like specifically? Once that's figured out, then we can do a complete update of the ALP. The resolution that was tabled was really a symbolic action to go on the record and provide some clarity about the intention of the east-west runway work," he added.While not the only factor to be considered, the ALP’s cost will also be key to pursuing any possible changes, Mr. Waller said.The city council also approved a renewed lease agreement with LuxAir at the April 7 meeting.
City, LuxAir share airport ownership
The ownership of the airport itself is somewhat convoluted. In 2015, LuxAir purchased the airport in a move to preserve its long-term operational viability. As a part of that transaction, the city of Marion acquired the airport’s runway and FBO facility, while LuxAir acquired the balance of the airport property, including the hangars and other facilities.Once that purchase was finalized, the Marion Municipal Airport Committee was formed to develop an ALP to guide future airport developments, including potential improvements and expansions. The 2017 plan was subsequently approved by state and federal officials, and while it currently includes the future addition of an east-west runway, the council’s April 7 vote calls the entire plan, including the east-west runway, into question.Mr. Waller also said that the council has previously rejected a rezoning plan that would have been required to accommodate a new east-west runway.
Letter-writers support current ALP
Several letters submitted to the council at its April 7 meeting voiced support for the new east-west runway and questioned why the ALP was being reconsidered.“The Marion Municipal Airport Committee was notified in late February that the city council was considering making changes to the current adopted and federally approved Airport Layout Plan (ALP) for the Marion Airport,” read a letter from MMAC chair Timothy Shaffer. “This came as a huge surprise to the committee, as we had not had a monthly meeting since September of 2021. We were informed that the decision was made to eliminate the east-west runway along the south boundary of the airport property currently included in the approved plan. The reasons given appeared to be the costs and pressure from surrounding property owners to allow more development impeding on the ultimate airport footprint.”Mr. Shaffer’s letter indicated the ALP was designed to interpret Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations “concerning airport design, safety, and security” and address “forecasted population, employment and number of aircraft based at the airport” by “predicting the number of operations (arrivals, departures and training activity) and economic contribution to suggest a ‘right-sized’ airport for the community.”“It does this without getting carried away and suggesting a need for commercial passenger service or other larger aircraft,” the letter added. “The ALP concludes that ‘the current airfield does not serve economic needs but does serve recreational needs. In the future, [the Municipal Airport Committee] would like the airfield to meet both needs.’ In the opinion of the Marion Municipal Airport Committee, eliminating the east/west runway at this stage relates to the ‘do-nothing’ option in the report. If this is done, we will never again have the opportunity to accomplish a ‘rate of return’ for the investment of the Marion taxpayers.”Craig Rairdin of Marion, a pilot and self-described frequent airport user, also submitted a letter supporting the current ALP and spoke at the April 7 council meeting. “By refusing to consider zoning for a future east-west ‘cross-wind’ runway, the council is adopting what its ALP calls the ‘do-nothing alternative,’ (which) was dismissed during the development of the ALP because it not only fails to meet Marion’s future needs but fails to meet even the limited recreational and training needs that the airport had when operating as a private endeavor,” Mr. Rairdin wrote.Mr. Rairdin’s letter adds that not proceeding with the current ALP would “result in the city owning nothing more than a long strip of well-let concrete at the edge of town.”
MEDCO seeking clarification
While not taking a formal stance on the ALP, the Marion Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO) is also seeking clarification of the city’s intentions for the airport. MEDCO president Nick Glew noted that the 184-acre Marion Enterprise Center (MEC), which provides and encourages industrial and commercial development, lies near the airport, and the construction of an east-west runway would impinge on a portion of MEC property.“Our role is supporting continued business growth and attracting new businesses, and as we do that, the ALP has some impact on what that looks like and what ground is available for development,” Mr. Glew said. “Our position isn't against the plan that's adopted. We’re just asking for clarity to ensure that the council and the community is fully behind that adopted plan. If there are changes going to be made, that impacts how we develop ground around (the airport).”The issue at hand, Mr. Glew said, is to determine the airport’s role in meeting Marion’s future needs.“It's a question of what is the right size airport that we really need,” Mr. Glew said. “If the answer is we need the full-blown north-south and east-west runway, that's fine, and we'll continue to develop an economic development strategy around that. If what we need for this airport to be vibrant is (just) a fully extended north-south runway, that's good too. We just haven't had those conversations at a deep level. We need to make sure we have a plan that represents something that the city council can get behind financially, a plan that really makes the most sense for Marion.”
‘Plan for future build-out’
Marion Airport Director Steve Morton said the ALP is designed to serve as “a plan for the further build-out for the airport … not necessarily the plans to do it. It’s looking for the next 100 years and what's realistically the biggest size airport that makes sense. It's making sure i's are dotted and t's are crossed and that everything fits with the airport’s safety parameters.”Some airport improvements have already been implemented, with improvements to the existing north-south runway, but the future of the full ALP remains nebulous.“We certainly want to see it happen,” Mr. Morton added. “It's ultimately in the hands of the city council members.”
