Property owners near airport see green

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Trees deemed intrusive to flight paths and problematic to airport safety have resulted in landowners getting paid handsomely for their properties. A total of $166,420 has been paid for 16.28 acres of land on three parcels adjacent to the airport that have been assessed at a total of $46,800, records show. The three parcels -- one 13.88 acre tract and two 1.2 acre lots -- were condemned under the state's Eminent Domain Act in the Court of Common Pleas as the county seeks to meet safety guidelines set by the Federal Aviation Administration regarding trees surrounding Santee Cooper Regional Airport. For 13.88 acres of land, 20 heirs of Mary McKnight were paid $123,220 for land along Thompson Road assessed at $34,800. Two other families and their heirs were each paid $21,600 for 1.2 acre lots sandwiched between Thompson Road and S.C. 260 that were both assessed at $6,000. County Administrator David Epperson said the FAA will reimburse 90 percent of the costs, the state will pay 5 percent and the county foots the bill for the remaining 5 percent. As for the amounts of money paid, Epperson said each lot's assessment is based on its agricultural value. Those lots had to be valued by an FAA-approved appraiser at the "highest and best use," he said. "That's some prime land," he said. "We had a tree issue there and it was more economical to condemn and clearcut it. That saves the county money going forward." The FAA conducts annual surveys to determine which trees affect flight paths for the airport. Four other parcels of land between Thompson Road and the airport won't be condemned for now as those landowners worked out agreements with the county to conduct periodic "topping" of their trees, he said. "That's it for now," and if the runway is realigned in 15 or 20 years, the county will re-examine those parcels, he said. He also said there's still "some talk" about extending the 3,602 foot runway another 600 feet. "We're trying to improve the airport and as the county grows we're trying to grow the airport," he said. "There's a lot of people flying in and out -- recreational flyers." The airport is owned by the county and contracts with Precision Air Company, which is known as the fixed base operator. According to AirNav.com, 20 total aircraft are based at the field -- 13 single engine airplanes, one multi-engine airplane and six gliders. The airport averages 48 aircraft operations a day, split evenly between local general aviation and transient general aviation with 1 percent categorized as military. Sky Vector Aeronautical Charts shows 8,800 yearly local general aviation operations, 8,747 annual intinerant general aviation operations and 53 each year categorized as military.