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Board approves Airport Capital Improvement Program lists; director says master plan will guide project choices
Summary
The board approved Airport Capital Improvement Program (ACIP) lists for Hilton Head and Buford Executive; the director said master‑plan options are not yet approved and that projects must be on the ACIP to be eligible for funding, addressing public concerns about possible runway extension.
The Beaufort County airport board approved Airport Capital Improvement Program (ACIP) lists for both Hilton Head Island and Buford Executive, and staff responded to public questions about whether those listings signal a runway extension.
Melinda Tonner, who identified herself as representing the Town of Hilton Head (S9), said she was surprised to see land purchase entries tied to taxiway work and asked whether decisions that affect local businesses belong in the ACIP or the airport master plan. The director (S1) explained the board’s process: staff is rewriting the master plan/airport layout, a roughly two‑year process, and that master‑plan options have not been approved; projects must appear on the ACIP list to be considered for funding, but the master plan committee will later select which options to pursue.
Why it matters: the ACIP list is the vehicle by which airports request funding; omission from the list can preclude state or FAA funding. The director emphasized that master plan options could change and that the FAA and the airport’s AOP committee will be briefed before final decisions.
Board action: S3 called for a motion, the ACIP list for Hilton Head was moved and seconded and approved by voice vote with no objections; the list for Buford Executive was considered and approved in a separate vote.
Representative quote: The director summarized the relationship between the ACIP and the master plan, saying the master plan committee will decide which options to pursue and that being on the ACIP list is necessary to secure funding.
What’s next: staff will brief the FAA and the airport committee on master‑plan options and return with an approved plan before advancing projects that could affect businesses and nearby residents.
