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Athens reviews airport layout plan and updated flood mapping that could unlock $14 million grant
Summary
City Manager Elizabeth Borstad presented a full-build airport layout plan showing a potential 5,500-foot runway and additional hangar development; staff said advancing a draft ALP to TxDOT and the FAA could open a $14 million grant opportunity. A TWDB drainage scoping project also reported updated flood-mapping near the industrial park and Lake Athens.
City Manager Elizabeth Borstad presented a full-build Airport Layout Plan (ALP) concept at the Athens City Council meeting on May 26, describing a potential main runway extension to 5,500 feet, additional 75-foot width configuration and expanded hangar and taxiway development on the current runway footprint.
Borstad said the next administrative steps are to present the findings to the airport board, prepare a draft ALP for submission to the Texas Department of Transportation in July, and then seek Federal Aviation Administration review. Entering that process, she said, would allow the city to pursue a roughly $14 million grant program to support the airport build-out.
In a separate project update Borstad discussed a Texas Water Development Board drainage scoping project that included updated floodplain mapping near the industrial park and Lake Athens. Staff reported a revised base flood elevation for Lake Athens noted in the transcript as "442-3," which had previously been recorded as "440-8." Borstad said the maps and any floodplain changes will require FEMA approval and that public hearings will be part of the process before final submission.
Why it matters: A 5,500-foot runway and associated infrastructure would expand Athens'capacity to serve larger aircraft and could change the airport's role in local economic development. Updated floodplain mapping can affect development rights, insurance requirements and future permitting in areas near the industrial park and lake.
Next steps: Staff will present the ALP to the airport board and, if approved, prepare a draft for TxDOT review in July and subsequent FAA submittal. Floodplain map updates will proceed through TWDB and FEMA processes and include public notice and hearings prior to final adoption.
