Kutztown Airport expected to close

There appears to be no evidence that the Reverend Paul Braden gave the federal Aviation Administration 90 days advance of his intention to sell his airport in Forks Township.

It DOES APPEAR, however, that the airport's purchaser, the Lehigh Valley International Airport Authority that brought Braden Field together with Forks Township nnd Lafayette College, Allentown, and Queen City Airport are using their acquisitions for future development.

In fact, these public-private enties are currently receiving federal funds for capital improvements these airports.

Why doesn't the township just take it by eminent domain?

slowly, but surely the govt. tightens its' grip around our travel/flexibility/movement options.

bummer... wonder what'll happen to the sky diving center out there???

Whispers wrote:

bummer... wonder what'll happen to the sky diving center out there???

It already went out of business several months ago, and all of the aircraft/equipment were auctioned offf.

I hope LVIA purchases Kutztown Airport as it will be necessary to have as many general aviation airports locally as LVIA increases in air traffic over the next 100 years.

Preserve it now while there is a shot.

This isn't good.

This means one more plane a week will be landing at ABE.

ABE can't handle the few planes they get NOW , without crashing them into each other.

Joe Blow wrote:

<quoted text>
It already went out of business several months ago, and all of the aircraft/equipment were auctioned offf.

WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! The Kutztown Skydiving Center is alive, & well, & still operates out of the Kutztown Airport, for the time being. They are, however, actively seeking to relocate thier base of operations to wherever that may be.

OMG, this takes K-town off the map as an urban, cosmopolitan campus town.

Ya tink dey can grow some good corn dare? Mebbe...

Rumor has it that the owner is selling (or has sold) off the land, and that it is being looked at for yet another shopping mall. Doesn't the valley have enough of these half empty eye sores yet?

what are they thinking wrote:

Rumor has it that the owner is selling (or has sold) off the land, and that it is being looked at for yet another shopping mall. Doesn't the valley have enough of these half empty eye sores yet?

Well, that won't clog up 222 any more !!! Holy spit, that would be an absolute, unmitigated disaster of epic proportions.

Again, hopefully LVIA which is sitting on cash and step in and buy it.

The greater LV does not need another strip mall, though Kutztown University would do well to buy it, if LVIA does not buy and save this airport for general aviation.

Joe Blow wrote:

Why doesn't the township just take it by eminent domain?

The owners had their lawyer notify the township by letter of their plans in order to prevent the land from being taken by eminent domain. The letter specifically said the land is valued at $14 million and the owner expects at least that amount to be paid to him if it's taken over by eminent domain. It's a threat. He knows the township wants it to remain an airport. He wants $14 million for the land. If the township tries to get it for less, he'll sue. In fact, the township is currently working on re-zoning that land as an airport and an airport only, which would prevent the sale of the land for anything else. Now if re-zoning happens, the owner has a basis for a lawsuit.

Oh, and if KU purchases the land, it won't become a shopping center. But it sure won't remain an airport.

Caveat to any developers - Maxatawny township and Kutztown residents successfully beat back a WalMart development deal on the east end of Kutztown in Maxatawny. Any sort of movement at the airport will meet with similar, if not stronger, protest.

argh,

This is good to hear. The owner should be entitled to fair market value and not have to be subject to emminent domain process. If FVM turns out to be $14 million in a negotiated private market deal so be it.

It seems the best two choices he should consider are
1) LVIA and calls to Doughty, which I am sure have been made and

2) Calls to KU president, which I am sure have been made, but they don't have $14 million sitting around so they would have to seek state funding for acquisition.

Every other option should be beat back just as they beat back other big box developments out that way. It will destroy the fabric of what makes Kutztown such a nice quaint, college town.

KU has lots of unused land already. Maybe they should sell to the Jaindls, after all they are "farmers".

The owner should be entitled to fair market value? Why should he get top dollar for property that hasn't had any decent maintenance done to it in years? The township, LVIA, or whoever else would show some vested interest in keeping it an airport should make an offer. But certainly not $14 million. Let him sue, it will be far less than 14 million then that ends up in his pockets after he pays his legal fees.

KU does not have "lost of unused land." All the land they have is being used. If you are referring to the PA German Cultural Heritage farm... just because that land is being farmed and not built on does not mean it's being unused.

This is a tough issue for people in the Kutztown area. We don't want the airport to go away. But we realize that the owner has a right to sell his property for the going market rate. We are leary of the rapacious KU getting even larger and taking more acreage off the tax rolls, but would prefer KU developing the land vs. a WalMart (or its equivalent).

I will miss the Kutztown Airport, I like to visit the diner and watch the planes and sailplaned take off and land. Will we never again need small airports if there is another war the size of World War II? I am asking not saying...

I have been told that besides the farmstead, there is quite a bit of land still undeveloped, leased to farmers, etc. All in, I was told tha KU has approximately 300 acres. If that's true, buying the airport makes little sense, especially at a time when the state is cutting funding to the school by almost 5% this year.

On another note, the buildings on campus are spaced far apart. There are still many acres in between buildings. Parking lots could be used for buildings as well. By building tiered garages, the sprawl of the lots would be replaced. I expect that KU would be the least likely buyer in all this.

Maybe Hilton / Marriott / Wyndham could build a classy hotel / conference center on the airport site.

argh wrote:

KU does not have "lost of unused land." All the land they have is being used. If you are referring to the PA German Cultural Heritage farm... just because that land is being farmed and not built on does not mean it's being unused.
This is a tough issue for people in the Kutztown area. We don't want the airport to go away. But we realize that the owner has a right to sell his property for the going market rate. We are leary of the rapacious KU getting even larger and taking more acreage off the tax rolls, but would prefer KU developing the land vs. a WalMart (or its equivalent).

Back to the future wrote:

I will miss the Kutztown Airport, I like to visit the diner and watch the planes and sailplaned take off and land. Will we never again need small airports if there is another war the size of World War II? I am asking not saying...

The people who own the Airport Diner also own the airport. So they will decide whether the sale includes the diner as well.