Kaufman Associates presents 20‑year Airport Layout Plan; commissioners approve ALP update for Harrison County Airport

Kaufman Associates planner Chandra Burks told the Harrison County Commissioners Court that the firm’s draft Airport Layout Plan (ALP) provides a 20‑year blueprint to align airport development with FAA design standards and projected demand.

Burks said the ALP update, now at a draft‑final stage, evaluates two demand segments — annual operations and based aircraft — and identifies capital projects the county can prioritize for funding. "We are just about at the end of the update to the airport layout plan and narrative report for the Harrison County Airport," she said.

The plan’s recommended development concept centers on airside work (runways, taxiways, safety areas and navigational aids), hangar development on the east and west sides of the primary runway, and removal or mitigation of obstructions in safety areas. Burks said the ultimate concept includes a potential runway extension of roughly 998 feet to bring the primary runway to about 6,000 feet, and that a move to a higher FAA design standard (C‑2) would expand safety‑area dimensions and could require property acquisition or easement agreements with nearby landowners and the city of Marshall.

Why it matters: the ALP is the county’s planning tool to make projects eligible for federal and state funding; projects not depicted on the ALP can be difficult to fund. Burks stressed the ALP does not guarantee funding, nor does it provide environmental clearance: "It is not a guarantee that TxDOT will fund any of these projects, and it also does not provide environmental clearance," she said.

Costs and funding: Burks estimated the short‑term (next five years) capital program at about $11,600,000, with an approximate county share of $1,100,000 if the full slate of short‑term projects is advanced. The total capital improvement program was estimated at about $46,700,000 with a local match estimate of about $6,500,000. She reviewed likely funding sources: AIP entitlement funds (approximately $150,000 per year that may be pooled), an IIJA allocation previously identified to Harrison County of about $1,600,000, discretionary federal funds (competitive), the TxDOT ramp program (state, up to $100,000 per year) and local revenue sources such as fuel and lease income.

Board action: after questions and brief comments from the judge and commissioners about prioritization, Commissioner Richard Timmons moved to approve the ALP update and Commissioner Christian Hatfield seconded. The court voted 'aye' and the chair announced the motion passed unanimously, 5‑0. The court’s approval authorizes submittal of the draft final ALP to TxDOT Aviation for review and, following TxDOT action, to the Federal Aviation Administration for final review.

What’s next: with county approval secured, staff will submit the ALP to TxDOT and then the FAA; final deliverables will include printed, digital and CAD files so Harrison County can incorporate projects into future budgets and funding applications.

Source: Presentation and discussion with Chandra Burks of Kaufman Associates to the Harrison County Commissioners Court. The court voted to approve the ALP update 5‑0.