VALDOSTA — The Valdosta-Lowndes County Airport Authority has plenty on the runway for 2019.
The annual capital improvement plan keeps the airport on point.
The annual capital improvement plan is a rolling five-year plan that is updated annually, said Jim Galloway, airport manager. Ultimately, the ACIP is a guide for upcoming projects; however, it breaks down the estimated cost of each project and how each project is funded.
The first year in the ACIP is 2019 and goes through 2024.
In 2019, the projects are more likely to be completed, but the further out the ACIP goes, the projects become wish list items that may or may not happen, Galloway said.
As an example, the ACIP includes a new air traffic control tower and a general aviation building. In previous years, the tower was a wish list item, but because the transportation special local option sales tax passed in 2018, the tower will become a reality.
But 90 percent of project funding comes from Federal Aviation Administration grants, 5 percent comes from the state taxes on aviator fuel and 5 percent is produced locally.
The term local funding can be misleading because it isn’t referring to local bodies of government. Local funds come from a passenger facility charge.
Currently, the charge is $4.50 per ticket purchased at the airport, Galloway said.
The airport submits an application to receive the passenger facility charge every three years. The applications are listed in the ACIP.
The FAA only provides funding for airport improvements that are approved, Galloway said. So, some of the projects do not qualify for FAA grants and are paid for by state taxes and local funds.
Throughout the ACIP certain projects will have a notation after the project stating it is environmental, design or construction, Galloway said.
Environmental designation means the project requires an environmental study, Galloway said. The design designation means the project is being planned by the engineer and grant applications are being submitted. The construction designation means the project is being constructed or carried out.
Each project designation is done in one fiscal year, he said. So, a project that requires an environmental study will take three years in total to complete, while a project with just design and construction phases will take two years.
Here is a look at the airport 2019-24 ACIP along with commentary on some projects.
Fiscal Year 2019
1) Runway 35 property acquisition in the runway protection zone will cost $330,000. The FAA will cover $297,000 of the project and state and local funds will each cover $16,500 of the project.
The project will purchase land contiguous to the airport. The airport wants to purchase the land to remove obstacles, such as trees, currently in the runway protection zone.
2) Runway 35 property runway protection zone obstruction removal (design) will cost $70,000. The FAA will cover $63,000 of the project and state and local funds will each cover $3,500 of the project.
If the airport is able to purchase the land contiguous to the airport, the project will remove tall trees obstructing the runway protection zone.
3) Wildlife Hazard Management Program drainage improvements (design) will cost $122,000. The FAA will cover $109,800 of the project and state and local funds will each cover $6,100 of the project.
The project would improve some of the drainage issues on airport property.
4) Taxiway M fillet widening and strengthening (construction) will cost $722,00. The FAA will cover $649,800 of the project and state and local funds will each cover $36,100 of the project.
Every five years, the Georgia Department of Transport comes to the airport and does a strength test on the runways to ensure they are still capable of bearing the load of airplanes.
The taxi lane hasn’t been touched since the 1970s, Galloway said. Improving, widening and improving the taxi lane ensures the road can handle future air traffic.
5) North T-hangar taxi lane rehabilitation (construction) will cost $824,000. The FAA will cover $741,600 of the project and state and local funds will each cover $41,200 of the project.
6) Air traffic control tower phase 2 study will cost $48,000. The FAA will cover $0 of the project, state funds will cover $36,000 of the project and local funds will cover $12,000 of the project.
The study allows engineers to study how to build the new tower and receive feedback from the FAA on how the engineers are planning to build it, Galloway said.
The Valdosta Regional Airport’s tower is not a part of the FAA ATCT system but Galloway said he wants the new tower built to FAA standards in case the tower is brought into the FAA system.
7) Demolition of tower and related items (design) will cost $190,000. The FAA will cover $171,000 of the project and state and local funds will each cover $9,500 of the project.
When building the new air traffic control tower, the old one will need to be dismantled and removed for safety reasons.
For FY 2019, the total cost of projects is $2,306,000. The total cost covered by the FFA is $2,032,200. The total cost covered by the state is $148,900. The total cost covered locally is $124,000.
FY 2020
8) PFC application will cost $14,000. The entire project will be paid for locally.
9) Runway 35 property runway protection zone obstruction removal (construction) will cost $635,000. The FAA will cover $571,500 of the project and state and local funds will cover $31,750 of the project.
This will consist of the removal of trees and a house that currently exist on the property.
10) Wildlife Hazard Management Program drainage improvements (construction) will cost $1,120,000. The FAA will cover $1,008,000 of the project and state and local funds will cover $56,000 of the project.
Galloway said he has an idea of what the drainage changes would look like, but won’t have a solid plan until the design phase is complete.
11) Demolition of air traffic control tower and related items (construction) will cost $250,000. The FAA will cover $225,000 of the project and state and local funds will each cover $12,500 of the project.
12) Replace tower will cost $3,510,065. The FAA will cover $0 of the project, state funds will cover $877,516 of the project and local funds will cover $2,632,549 of the project.
Galloway said state funds for the project have been fully secured yet, but he has asked for the funds.
13) New airfield maintenance building (design) will cost $149,000. The FAA will cover $134,100 of the project and state and local funds will each cover $7,450 of the project.
The building is used for storing lawn mowers and other equipment. Galloway said the airport has outgrown its current building, but the project doesn’t have a lot of traction with the airport authority.
For FY 2020, the total cost of projects is $5,678,065. The total cost covered by the FFA is $1,938,600. The total cost covered by the state is $985,216. The total cost covered locally is $2,754,249.
FY 2021
14) Master plan update will cost $350,000. The FAA will cover $315,000 of the project and state and local funds will cover $17,500 of the project.
The master plan is a 25-year plan for the airport, Galloway said. The last master plan was created in 2006.
While Galloway uses the current master plan, he said he’s ready for the new one to be completed. The recession affected air travel and the economy, rendering portions of the current master plan moot.
15) Obstruction removal project (planning) will cost $50,000. The FAA will cover $0 of the project, the state will cover $37,500 of the project and local funds will cover $12,500 of the project.
This line item is a place holder, Galloway said. It is done every so often to check to see if there are objects to be removed.
16) New airfield maintenance building (construction) will cost $1,350,000. The FAA will cover $1,215,000 of the project and state and local funds will each cover $67,500 of the project.
For FY 2021, the total cost of projects is $1,750,000. The total cost covered by the FFA is $1,530,000. The total cost covered by the state is $122,500. The total cost covered locally is $97,500.
FY 2022
17) PFC application will cost $14,000. The entire project will be paid for locally.
18) Miscellaneous drainage improvements (environmental) will cost $48,000. The FAA will cover $43,200 of the project and state and local funds will cover $2,400 of the project.
This is a project to look at drainage issues throughout the airport to see what can be done to make water drainage more effective.
19) Runway 17-35 asphalt mill, replace, remarking and signage corrections to runway 18-36 (design) will cost $320,000. The FAA will cover $288,000 of the project and state and local funds will each cover $16,000 of the project.
The road will need to be repaved and renumbered, Galloway said. The runways are numbered based on its magnetic heading. Due to the Earth’s magnetic field shifting over time, the runway needs to be corrected. This is the only runway affected by the magnetic changes.
For FY 2022, the total cost of projects is $382,000. The total cost covered by the FFA is $331,200. The total cost covered by the state is $18,400. The total cost covered locally is $32,400.
FY 2023
20) Runway 17-35 asphalt mill, replace, remarking and signage corrections to runway 18-36 (construction) will cost $5,075,000. The FAA will cover $4,567,500 of the project and state and local funds will each cover $253,750 of the project.
21) Miscellaneous drainage improvements (design) will cost $96,000. The FAA will cover $86,400 of the project and state and local funds will cover $4,800 of the project.
For FY 2023, the total cost of projects is $5,171,000. The total cost covered by the FFA is $4,653,900. The total cost covered by the state is $258,550. The total cost covered locally is $258,550.
FY 2024
22) PFC application will cost $14,000. The entire project will be paid for locally.
23) Miscellaneous drainage improvements (construction) will cost $720,000. The FAA will cover $648,000 of the project and state and local funds will cover $36,000 of the project.
24) Replace general aviation terminal will cost $2,050,000. The FAA will cover $0 of the project, the state will cover $1,537,500 of the project and local funds will cover $512,500 of the project.
The general aviation buildings are where aviators and passengers of privately owned planes, including business jets, enter and exit.
“Oftentimes this terminal is the gateway for new business,” he said. “… And sometimes we won’t even know there is someone coming to put a business in (Valdosta). This is an important building.”
Recently, the airport has done major repairs to the building’s roof, but is hoping to replace the building.
The current air traffic control tower sits atop the general aviation building, and Galloway said one of the authority members asked why the airport shouldn’t time the demolition at the same time as the ATCT. Galloway said funding doesn’t line up for the projects to be completed at the same time.
The current general aviation building is 70 years old.
25) General aviation area improvements: apron expansion and parking lots will cost $900,00. The FAA will cover $810,000 of the project and state and local funds will cover $45,000 of the project.
The project will bring the airport’s current apron and green areas up to code. It is currently grandfathered in an old code system.
26) Runway 4-22 electrical improvements: replace precision approach path indicator and runway end identification lighting systems will cost $240,000. The FAA will cover $0 of the project, state will cover $180,000 and local funds will cover $60,000 of the project.
The lights are coming to the end of their current life span and need to be replaced, Galloway said. He plans to make some improvements to the systems when the lights are updated.
For FY 2024, the total cost of projects is $3,924,000. The total cost covered by the FFA is $1,458,000. The total cost covered by the state is $1,798,500. The total cost covered locally is $667,500.
For FY 2019-24, the total cost of projects is $16,905,065. The total cost covered by the FFA is $9,911,700. The total cost covered by the state is $3,183,166. The total cost covered locally is $3,810,199.
Future Projects
The future project list is the “real dream sheet” in the ACIP, Galloway said. Some of the projects will eventually need to be completed while others are just future plans and improvements for the airport.
1) Runway 4-22 rehabilitation (design) will cost $150,000. The FAA will cover $0 of the project, the state will cover $112,500 of the project and local funds will cover $37,500 of the project.
2) Runway 4-22 rehabilitation (construction) will cost $1,608,000. The FAA will cover $0 of the project, the state will cover $1,206,000 of the project and local funds will cover $402,000 of the project.
3) Install aircraft wash rack (design) will cost $75,000. The FAA will cover $67,500 of the project and state and local funds will cover $3,750 of the project.
This includes an oil and water separator and will help make the airport more environmentally friendly, Galloway said.
4) Install aircraft wash rack (construction) will cost $336,000. The FAA will cover $302,400 of the project and state and local funds will cover $16,800 of the project.
5) South T-hangar taxi lane rehabilitation will cost $178,000. The FAA will cover $160,200 of the project and state and local funds will cover $8,900 of the project.
6) Wildlife fencing improvements: phase one will cost $1,160,000. The FAA will cover $1,044,000 of the project and state and local funds will cover $58,000 of the project.
The fences would be 10 feet above the ground and two feet below the ground, Galloway said. It is to help mitigate issues with wildlife.
For future projects, the total cost of projects is $3,507,000. The total cost covered by the FFA is $1,574,100. The total cost covered by the state is $1,405,950. The total cost covered locally is $536,950.