Consultant presents 20-year airport layout plan; commissioners approve ALP update

Chandra Burks of Kaufman Associates presented the draft Airport Layout Plan (ALP) for Harrison County Airport on June 24, outlining a 20-year vision of projected aircraft operations and infrastructure needs and asking the commissioners to approve the plan so it can proceed to TxDOT and FAA review.

Burks said the ALP has two primary elements: aviation demand forecasts (five-, 10- and 20-year projections of based aircraft and annual operations) and the ALP drawing set that shows recommended airside and landside development. "This is a long range study," she said, adding the plan helps the county identify capital projects, secure funding and keep FAA design standards current.

The consultant explained the airport’s current primary runway is designed to a B-2 standard and identified a potential shift to a C-2 standard if a C-2 aircraft type operates at least 500 times per year—an FAA threshold that would change safety-area dimensions and other design requirements. Burks said the ALP shows a possible runway extension of about 998 feet to an ultimate length of roughly 6,000 feet and noted that some safety-area expansions may extend beyond current airport property, requiring acquisition or easements and coordination with the city of Marshall.

Burks walked the court through project phasing: short-term (next five years) safety projects—vegetation removal, obstruction mitigation, navigational aid upgrades and taxiway adjustments—are estimated at about $11,600,000, with a county share of roughly $1,100,000 if all projects advance. An ultimate capital improvement program was presented at about $46,700,000, with an estimated local match of about $6,500,000.

She reviewed funding sources available to the county: AIP entitlement dollars (federal Airport Improvement Program administered through TxDOT in Texas, approximately $150,000 per year with up to a four-year carryover), IIJA allocations (Harrison County cited roughly $1.6 million in discretionary IIJA funding), TxDOT ramp program funding (state maintenance program up to $100,000 per year), discretionary grants and local revenue options such as fuel and leasehold income.

After brief supportive comments from commissioners who said the plan will serve as a useful 20-year guide, Commissioner Timmons moved to approve the ALP update; the motion was seconded by Commissioner Hatfield and passed by voice vote, recorded as 5-0. The court’s approval will allow the county to submit the draft final ALP to TxDOT Aviation and then to the FAA for their respective reviews and approvals. Burks said final deliverables to the county will include printed and digital copies and CAD files of the ALP drawing set.

The presentation emphasized that inclusion in the ALP does not obligate the county to build every project shown, does not guarantee TxDOT or FAA funding, and does not constitute environmental clearance; environmental review and additional studies would be required for major projects such as a runway extension.

Next steps: county approval (completed), submittal to TxDOT Aviation for review, and subsequent FAA review through their lines of business; future project prioritization and budgeting will occur annually in coordination with TxDOT and the county’s on-call engineer.