There is a chance a flight school operator will be moving to Barrhead.
Robert Dunham, who previously entered a lease agreement for hangar 16 at Johnson Industrial Airport in the County of Barrhead and operates a flight school out of Westlock, had already been approved for the aforementioned lease and requested council approve a new application for hangar 17 at its regular meeting Nov. 1.
Council voted to table the item for a future meeting.
“His plan is to submit a development permit that will span the two lots and then he will have room to create the building he requires for his business,” County of Barrhead municipal clerk Jennie Bruns said, adding with regards to issues other developers have had with safety codes, county administration has directed Dunham to determine what types of activities he will be doing in the area and to submit that information.
Coun. Bill Lane, a member of the airport commission committee, said he had spoken with Dunham.
“He has asked a few questions and one of the reasons he wants to do this at the airport in Barrhead is because he lives closer to it,” Lane said. “He likes our airport and is a flight instructor with a school that operates out of Westlock currently. I believe this would enhance our airport, having something like his business here.”
Not all councillors were on board however.
Coun. Darrell Troock expressed his concern about allowing Dunham to lease two adjacent plots, changing the overall plan for the airport itself.
“We have a commercial area designed for bigger hangars and businesses and I wonder why we aren’t following the plan,” he said, adding he thought changing the look of the airport was the wrong move.
“We have nice recreational hangars and all of a sudden we are going to start allowing double lots and bigger hangars, and I think that will take away from our airport.”
While he acknowledged there are no roads currently built to access the bigger plots available for hangars and other operations at the airport, Troock said as the airport authority, if there is opportunity for industry it is the duty of the council to commission the road work required.
“It isn’t my intention to hold up any progress on his [Dunham’s] part. I love our airport. I’d hate to start mixing it up, changing the overall development plan, you know? I’d rather see it grow. We are going to need more hangar space, more roads — one or both of the existing roads are going to need asphalt in the near future. My thoughts are why don’t we get prepared for a few more and get ready for that inevitability. I’m in favour of it [the lease], but I think there is a smarter way to do this.”
