Little hope for Pine Hill's airport
By Arthur McLean
Editor

The Pine Hill Town Council agreed Monday night to continue exploring the idea of a regional airport with other cities in the area.

"It's going to be terribly expensive to get our airport into compliance," Mayor Harry Mason said. The runway needs repaving and automated lighting would need to be installed, as well as clearing of more trees from the glide path to the runway.

Mason said the repairs and improvements required by the state and the FAA could cost the city upwards of $1 million. For small airport improvements like at Pine Hill, the best grants usually available only offer a 50 percent cost share, leaving Pine Hill to make up the rest.

"I frankly don't see much choice but to go along with (a regional airport plan)," he said.

Councilmember Roberta Jordan asked if perhaps Weyerhaeuser could help the town, but Mason responded that the company no longer uses the Pine Hill airport, instead it now uses the airport in Camden.

"I hate to lose ours, but there doesn't seem to be much possibility to keep it with the shape it's in," Jordan said.

Other council members agreed that the town likely had little choice in the matter.

"Depending on the new airport's location, the old airport could make an industrial park," Mason said.

Another meeting of cities in the region is planned this month to continue talking about the idea of a regional airport.

Even if several cities and counties agree to begin such a project, a new airport would likely be seven to eight years away, said ALDOT officials.

In the meantime, Pine Hill officials have asked that an ALDOT representative review the Pine Hill airport with them in hopes that they can economically address the most urgent needs to keep the airport open several more years.

Noisy dogs

Brenda Baker spoke to the council regarding noisy dogs in her neighborhood. Police Chief John Brown said he has received complaints from several people in the area about the dogs.

The town's noise ordinance does not directly address noise made by animals, but the council agreed to seek legal advice from the League of Municipalities to amend the ordinance to add animals.

The amendment will be presented at the next council meeting.

The council agreed to sell an unspecified amount of acreage to a company interested in located in the town's industrial park. The price established for the land is $1,750 per acre.

Members of the town's industrial development board were also reappointed for six-year terms. The members are: Bain Agee, Gwen Washington, Mark Jordan, Carolyn Vick, Ronald Criswell and Bill Godbold.

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