By John Dobberstein, Editor
An aviation consultant has been given the green light by the Broken Arrow City Council to proceed with a study to determine if building a general aviation airport in or near Broken Arrow is feasible.
The Council voted unanimously Tuesday to hire Garver, a national aviation, transportation and building engineering firm based in North Little Rock, Ark., at a cost of $150,000 to conduct the study.
The city is looking at a facility for general aviation and is not seeking to compete with Tulsa International Airport’s commercial service. Even if the process sailed through design and approvals, the project could be a decade or more from being built.
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“I do think it’s important to talk about what this study is and what it isn’t, because we do get a lot of comments about it. I just want to reiterate, we’re not inventing Tulsa International 2.0,” said Charlie Bright, the city’s director of Engineering and Construction.
“We’re talking about a small regional general aviation airport, something that you would see closer to (Tulsa Riverside Airport) or other locations. What’s even more important is we’re not even talking about building an airport today. We’re talking about a study to determine if it’s a good idea to build an airport.”
The main goal of the study is a business analysis to determine what the flight demand is for corporate partners in Broken Arrow and the Tulsa area, the overall supply and demand for aviation and where demand is growing.
The project agreement between the city and Garver calls for the firm to draw up a 10-year forecast of aviation activity and a recommended development plan. But since it’s a feasibility study, requirements such as final site selection, draw up an airport master plan, environmental documentation and design are not included in the project.
The city is expected to select an Advisory Committee consisting of city staff and other stakeholders, “that may provide insight into the demand for a new airport.” The group would meet with Garver early on to discuss a vision for the facility and what elements are needed for future success of a potential airport.
The study would also inventory details on up to 10 airports within a 50-mile radius, analyzing each airport’s property size, FAA National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) classification; runways and instrument approach procedures, and revenue generated by aeronautical activities.
Based on aviation demand and aeronautical activity forecasts, Garver would recommend what airport facilities are needed to support likely users, including the runway and taxiway system, lighting and visual aids, weather reporting stations, navigational aids and instrument-approach procedures.
The study would also suggest what hangars, maintenance facilities, fueling services, fencing, vehicle facilities and access roads would be needed.
Garver would eventually determine “an optimal area size needed to support the proposed airport facility” and a discussion would be needed on whether there’s sufficient land available in or near the city limits.
Garver would also develop cost estimates for the short, intermediate and long-
term costs associated for the airport’s implementation, including a review of local, state, federal, and private funding sources for airport development.
The firm would break down the types of projects eligible for FAA/Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics grant funding, and identify potential non-ODAA Aviation and
FAA grant funding sources that could be utilized to fund any planned airport projects.
A capital improvement plan for airport development would be devised with cost estimates, and Garver would present the findings to the Advisory Committee to gather feedback and determine any revisions.
After a draft report is completed, a presentation would be made to the FAA/ODAA, the city manager and the City Council. After that, a final draft report would be completed.
City Manager Michael Spurgeon has said Broken Arrow business leaders, current and former state and federal elected officials, businesses that own planes and private pilots have asked why the city of its size doesn’t have an airport.
Local businesses and even the soon-to-be-open Regent Amphitheater could use a Broken Arrow airport, rather than going to Tulsa International Airport or Tulsa Riverside Airport, Spurgeon says. Spurgeon notes he’s spoken with local pilots who are parking planes as far as Northwest Arkansas because there is a waiting list to get hangar space at other airports that meet their needs.
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