Runway grooving set for March; Powell hangar near completion as city studies water lines and hangar growth

Springdale City Airport staff told the commission on Jan. 16, 2025, that runway grooving and sealing work is scheduled to begin March 3, 2025, that the tower will be rehabilitated under a funded grant, and that the Powell hangar rehab is nearing completion pending final water‑main test results and a base test on newly placed asphalt.

Greg Collier, a staff member presenting project updates, said the grooving project is FAA‑funded on a 90/10 basis and that the contractor has set a March 3 start date. "The whole project is is 15 nights," Collier said, adding the contractor will likely work Monday through Thursday for about two weeks and return 30 days later to apply final runway markings.

Collier said the tower rehabilitation is 100% funded and will proceed in multiple mobilizations so the team can assess conditions uncovered during work and prioritize remaining grant funds for items such as a generator or a security system if funds allow. He said the contractor for the tower work is expected to mobilize in late January or early February.

On the Powell hangar rehab, staff circulated before‑and‑after photos showing hangar doors installed and asphalt pavement in place. Collier said water and sewer lines for the hangar have been installed and the project team is "waiting for our final test results to come back and so we expect to, to close that part of the project out in about 2 to 3 weeks." He also said asphalt cores taken from the pavement passed testing, but the contractor failed to notify staff to test the base before paving; staff scheduled a base test to confirm the base material beneath the asphalt.

Commissioners and staff also reviewed a portfolio of potential new hangar sites across the airport and discussed constraints: many west‑side sites lack nearby water lines or hydrant flow and would require water‑line extensions and hydrant work to meet building and fire‑flow requirements. Collier noted that extending water lines to selected locations could be bundled into a state grant request; staff said the state 80/20 grant has an approximate $300,000 cap and that the city could apply in the current state fiscal cycle before July 1.

Collier presented rough order‑of‑magnitude costs: t‑hangars at about $110 per square foot and a hypothetical 70x70 box hangar that could hold large aircraft; clear‑span hangars were discussed as an alternative to maximize capacity. He proposed an "enabling" water‑line project roughly in the mid‑hundreds of thousands (staff discussed a $330,000–$350,000 target) to unlock multiple hangar sites rather than funding a single hangar at a time.

Staff confirmed AIP/AIG (Airport Improvement Grant) funds remain available for airport development and said those federal funds can be used for hangar and taxi‑lane work subject to federal rules; staff also said state grants could be layered to fund parking or water‑line work where appropriate. Engineering consultant Garver was named as the firm with project data and hydraulic models; Ed Stith, the fire marshal, was cited as the authority for required fire flows and hydrant spacing.

No binding approvals or budget appropriations were made at the meeting. Commissioners directed staff to prioritize a hangar‑development list, run water‑pressure and fire‑flow models once the Powell/Powell Street work stabilizes, and pursue appropriate grant applications in the current state fiscal window. The commission also agreed to hold its April meeting at the airport to view facilities and progress in person.