Airport commission keeps center of hay barn for maintenance, reopens south end for aircraft storage

The Alva Airport Commission voted to retain the center section of the hay barn for airport maintenance use and to reopen the south end for aircraft storage.

Commissioners said the center section provides secure, dry space to store and service mowers, trucks and other airport equipment while reopening the south side will create room for transient and lease aircraft until new hangars are completed. The motion passed on a roll call vote recorded as: Loxton — yes; Geiger — yes; Weidner — yes; Kinsey — yes.

Airport manager (unnamed) told the commission the center area offers “equipment security, dry conditions for the equipment, longer maintenance” and asked that staff be allowed to secure a door that currently does not lock. Commissioners discussed a short-term space crunch driven by several large aircraft and ongoing construction; they said the plan frees space in other hangars and should ease congestion until new hangars are built.

Commission members clarified current occupancy and lease status for units in the hay barn. The manager reported one aircraft (a Comanche) remains in the north end and that the tenant had indicated payments extending into July; staff said they would follow the airport’s lease and billing procedures and contact the tenant to confirm plans. Commissioners instructed staff to treat the center section as airport maintenance space and to make the south end available for aircraft storage under existing hangar leasing rules.

The commission did not specify a timeline for locking or minor repairs; staff said they would report back with details and any required lease updates at a future meeting.

Practical effect: maintenance equipment will remain inside the central bay, the south bay will be cleared and offered for aircraft storage, and staff will manage tenant communications and lease compliance going forward.