It's really no surprise I'm looking to the VAF community for help with this, throughout my build and beyond the people and advice have really made things happen for me.
I rushed my "special use zoning permit" to the county just before they shut their doors due to the Covid several months ago. Depending on weather/farmer/contractor I would like to break ground next fall through next summer.
We purchased our property to build a house, airstrip and hangar on. Now we just need to make it happen. I've planned out the runway with a dirt contractor who used to be on the county planning commission and was also approved by the airport coffee drinkers association. I'm attempting to do this right for the long term, I want this runway to be there for a LONG time and need the paperwork to be in order.
It's now happening fast, the letters to the neighbors already went out and the commission meeting is next week. We've already delivered my wife's famous homemade cinnamon rolls and visited with all those affected by the zoning change except 2 which are out of town. I think this portion on the zoning application is a "go."
I'm not a lawyer but the initial planning commission findings are very favorable:
But Conditions 2, 4 seem rather restrictive, the rest I would comply with 150%.
I'm not too worried about 4, depending on their interpretation of "initiated and utilized" I can bribe a friend with a Cub to land anytime or drag some dirt with my old Allis WD.
Condition 2 worries me. A landing strip just for "family members" doesn't seem reasonable, I'm sure I don't have to explain this the the VAF people. One adjacent neighbor has already checked into flight training and his brother in law flys a Pa-32 around. I'm not sure if a logical explanation will suffice to the county or if I need to get a lawyer. I'ld really like to handle this on my own, partly $$ but mostly because I don't think any local lawyer would have the proper knowledge and definitely not the heart of the matter in mind.
A restriction to just family members seems unreasonable for a private airstrip, I'ld like to think I have a lot of airplane friends that would want to stop by. Realistically that's a handful a year, maybe doubling the 3-6 operations a month on average.
I would definitely appreciate thoughts and advice from those that have gone before me.
Thanks!
I rushed my "special use zoning permit" to the county just before they shut their doors due to the Covid several months ago. Depending on weather/farmer/contractor I would like to break ground next fall through next summer.
We purchased our property to build a house, airstrip and hangar on. Now we just need to make it happen. I've planned out the runway with a dirt contractor who used to be on the county planning commission and was also approved by the airport coffee drinkers association. I'm attempting to do this right for the long term, I want this runway to be there for a LONG time and need the paperwork to be in order.
It's now happening fast, the letters to the neighbors already went out and the commission meeting is next week. We've already delivered my wife's famous homemade cinnamon rolls and visited with all those affected by the zoning change except 2 which are out of town. I think this portion on the zoning application is a "go."
I'm not a lawyer but the initial planning commission findings are very favorable:
But Conditions 2, 4 seem rather restrictive, the rest I would comply with 150%.
I'm not too worried about 4, depending on their interpretation of "initiated and utilized" I can bribe a friend with a Cub to land anytime or drag some dirt with my old Allis WD.
Condition 2 worries me. A landing strip just for "family members" doesn't seem reasonable, I'm sure I don't have to explain this the the VAF people. One adjacent neighbor has already checked into flight training and his brother in law flys a Pa-32 around. I'm not sure if a logical explanation will suffice to the county or if I need to get a lawyer. I'ld really like to handle this on my own, partly $$ but mostly because I don't think any local lawyer would have the proper knowledge and definitely not the heart of the matter in mind.
A restriction to just family members seems unreasonable for a private airstrip, I'ld like to think I have a lot of airplane friends that would want to stop by. Realistically that's a handful a year, maybe doubling the 3-6 operations a month on average.
I would definitely appreciate thoughts and advice from those that have gone before me.
Thanks!
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