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Planning Commission approves conditional‑use permit for private turf runway on Blakely Township property
Summary
Scott County planning staff recommended and the Planning Commission approved a conditional‑use permit (PL 2026039) allowing Wayne Nagle to establish a private turf runway and use an existing hangar on two parcels in Blakely Township, subject to MnDOT and FAA licensing and any conditions in the staff report.
The Scott County Planning Advisory Commission voted July 13 to approve PL 2026039, a conditional‑use permit allowing Wayne Nagle to establish a private 120‑foot‑wide turf runway and use an existing hangar on property in Blakely Township.
Nathan Hall, presenting for staff, described the proposal: a turf runway running along the southern edge of a northern parcel with a taxiway and hangar on an adjacent 40‑acre parcel. Hall said the hangar exists, the runway would require minimal grading and that the applicant would need to apply for a Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) private airport license and meet Minnesota administrative rules; the applicant would also need to register with the Federal Aviation Administration as applicable. Hall told commissioners that Blakely Township reviewed the request and recommended approval and that staff is recommending approval based on the criteria in the report.
Wayne Nagle, the applicant, told the commission he has been a pilot for more than 20 years and previously owned airplanes. “I’ve been a pilot for over 20 years,” Nagle said, and described plans to work through MnDOT and FAA requirements. Commissioners noted that MnDOT Aeronautics and the FAA would perform technical safety reviews and inspections and that private airports do not receive the same airspace protections as public airports unless easements or other measures are secured.
Letters of support from an adjacent landowner were included in the packet; the Blakely Township board recommended approval. After closing public comment, the commission approved the conditional‑use permit by voice vote. Hall and staff noted conditions in the staff report and reminded the applicant that state and federal licensing and technical reviews are required before operations could begin.
Next steps: the applicant must apply to MnDOT Aeronautics for a private airport license, comply with Minnesota administrative rules and register/coordinate with the FAA where required; county approvals do not substitute for those external reviews.
