July 28 meeting is last for airport master plan

Staff report

KENT

The final public meeting for the Kent State University Airport Master Plan has been scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. July 28 at the Stow-Munroe Falls High School Auditorium, 3227 Graham Road in Stow.

The first public meeting was in 2013 to introduce the project to the community and seek input about the airport’s future. During the second public meeting in November 2014, the public had an opportunity to review and provide comments on the alternatives’ development and evaluation.

Beginning at 6 p.m., the project team will make a presentation on the project, including the preferred alternative that will be submitted to the Kent State University trustee board and senior leadership.

After the presentation, there will be a public comment period when attendees will be able to speak or submit comments in writing. This public meeting will present information found in the project’s draft executive summary, which is available at the project website, www.KSUAirportPlan.com.

The summary can be viewed at the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library, 3512 Darrow Road in Stow, and at the Kent State University Airport, 4020 Kent Road in Stow.

Written comments will be accepted through Aug. 12, and may be submitted online via the project’s website, www.KSUAirportPlan.com, or sent via mail to Aileen Maguire Meyer, C&S Engineers, Inc., 20445 Emerald Parkway, Suite 100, Cleveland, OH 44135.

Those unable to attend the meeting can view the meeting materials via the project website after the meeting has concluded.

In 2004, the airport completed a master plan, which was then updated in 2006. At that time, the university was considering closing the airport and moving operations to another nearby airport. University leaders are reassessing the recommendations of the previous plan, and a new plan is required to take a fresh look at the airport’s assets and determine its needs.

Kent State has owned the public-use, general aviation airport since 1942 and uses the facility to support its aeronautics program, one of 32 accredited aviation education programs worldwide.

Due in part to the increase in demand for airline pilots, the forecast for enrollment for KSU’s aeronautics program saw it grow 150 percent from 2005 to 2012. It now expects enrollment to grow from its current 638 students to more than 1,100 by 2022.

Kent State’s Flight Training Program is the only one of its kind, not only in Ohio but in the Northeastern U.S. region.

The new master plan must take into account how the airport can best serve the needs of all members of the community.