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Mineral Wells council adopts airport master plan, flags runway sightline fix
Summary
After a detailed presentation, the council approved the Mineral Wells Regional Airport Master Plan and Airport Layout Diagram, endorsing a CIP that prioritizes addressing a runway line-of-sight safety issue and pursuing FAA and TxDOT grant funding; vote 5-0.
The Mineral Wells City Council approved the Mineral Wells Regional Airport Master Plan and Airport Layout Diagram on Oct. 1 after a presentation by Garver project manager Nathan Paulsgrove and staff.
Paulsgrove summarized a planning process that includes an inventory, a 20-year forecast and an analysis that produced a capital improvement program (CIP) split into short-, mid- and long-term actions. The master plan uses a moderately aggressive forecast of 2.15% annual growth in based aircraft and operations. The plan identifies a safety concern: a runway line-of-sight issue on Runway 13/31 (described in the presentation as runway 1331), for which the recommended mitigation is to raise one runway end to eliminate the hump and restore proper sightlines.
The plan also recommends decoupling the runways over the midterm to reduce the risk of wrong-runway departures, establishing multiple hangar development areas, and phased land-side development focused on existing frontage to minimize cost. Paulsgrove explained the CIP’s short-term priorities include pavement rehabilitation, a drainage study, and a new fuel farm; midterm work includes runway decoupling and long-term work contemplates additional runway rehabilitation.
Paulsgrove and staff described grant funding sources: the FAA (Airport Improvement Program and discretionary prioritized grants, including funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) and TxDOT Aviation. Paulsgrove said FAA-allocated AIP funds generally do not have to be repaid and typically require a local match (often 10%). Councilmembers asked about grant timing and prioritization; Paulsgrove said safety-related runway projects score highly in the FAA discretionary prioritization process and some discretionary projects must be programmed several years in advance.
After questions about temporary mitigations (NOTAMs and signage were noted) and financing (airport capital funds and revolving-account strategies were discussed), Speaker 8 moved to approve the master plan and ALD; the motion carried 5-0.
