While there’s not a definitive plan in place and it’s not even certain if a second, more formal, presentation will be made this month or next, it appears that both the City of Bridgeport and the North Central West Virginia Airport would like to make use of airport land situated across the road from the Bridgeport Recreation Complex.

 

It was in May that Haws first went to the Authority to lay the groundwork for using the land along State Route 131 that formerly was utilized the National Guard. Currently, there is little activity on the acreage, it’s primarily in a flood plain and old buildings situated there need refurbished or razed.

 

During the May meeting, Haws asked the Authority to consider teaming up with Bridgeport to clean up the property and put it to use. Haws suggested allowing the city to potentially use some of the acreage for potential overflow parking at the Recreation Complex and to use some of the land to build some much needed storage sheds for materials and equipment currently exposed to elements or under tarps at the facility.

 

“I haven’t heard anything formal from them since that meet, but I’m pretty sure they’re interested and was pleased with how well they received what I spoke to them about,” said Haws. “I will be making a presentation to them in the near future.”

 

Haws wasn’t sure if that would be at the August 20 meeting of the Benedum Airport Authority or the September 17 meeting. The Authority, the airport’s governing body, meets the third Wednesday of each month at 3 p.m.

 

NCWV Airport Director Rick Rock said although it’s been a few months since the meeting, he said the idea is not only feasible, but doable. He said the vibe he has from the Authority is that something could be done in a partnership that would be beneficial to both sides.

 

“(Authority Member) Roger (Diaz) and myself and others have looked at ways of getting that area cleaned up,” said Rock. “I think the biggest concern is that there’s a very real likelihood that some of those buildings have asbestos in them. That’s not a roadblock, but it just makes things a little more difficult.”

 

Rock said the airport is going to have a company assess the asbestos in the buildings that remain. He said from there, a determination can be made toward the cost of safely removing the asbestos and eventually removing the structures.

 

“We’re taking steps forward in that direction,” said Rock.

 

Rock and Authority President Ron Watson both think that it has mutual benefits if the city and the airport work together. And both want that to happen.

 

“We’re in a growth mode and have all intentions on maintaining that growth mode,” said Rock. “When that happens, parking is going to be one of our challenges. If parking is available for us and for the complex, that’s a win-win. I think everyone here wants to be a good neighbor because if we help each other we’re finding ways for both of us to grow. Plus, there is basically no aeronautical use for that property.”

 

Watson agreed. He pointed to an agreement that will allow the city to use some of the land for its storage needs, while providing parking for both facilities as something critical to both.

 

““If we develop as we hope, then parking will be a problem there,” said Watson. “If the numbers grow at the rate they’re growing and we add additional service where people will be leaving cars here, then we’re going to need it. If the Recreation Complex continues to grow, they might need that parking as well.

 

“Anything we can do to partner with any city, in this case Bridgeport, and clean up a property, provide a use for the entities involved is at a minimum worth looking at,” Watson continued. “You can certainly see Bridgeport’s view even beyond the storage needs and parking. That area is the first impression a lot of people from beyond Bridgeport, Harrison County and even the state will have when they come into that complex. You want that property, which likely has limited uses because we think it’s in a flood plain, to represent the entire area and even the state in a positive manner.”

 

Along with materials from the Recreation Complex, Haws has said that a new salt storage facility would also be useful there. He pointed to the city nearly running out of salt this past winter and there being no salt available to purchase had that point been reached. This site would allow a stockpile to likely meet the city’s needs in even the harshest of winters.

 

Haws also said that the city would be agreeable to salting several of the roadways leading into the airport. Although some are maintained by the state, the roads aren’t high priority and the city could assist there, Haws said at the May meeting.

 

“I think so,” said Haws when asked if he thought something would happen there. “I want to iron out what to present to them and find a joint use for the property. It just makes a lot of sense.”

 

Bridgeport has $30,000 budgeted for the construction of storage sheds. 

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Rec Complex head groundskeeper Ben Nilsson showing some of the equipment that is set behind the existing storage facility at the complex, while Kim Haws addresses the Airport Authority in May. Bottom photo shows Nilsson sitting on the massive pile of mulch at the facility that could be stored if the above proposal advances.