The Upper Cumberland Regional Airport has reached an agreement to purchase a property on the north side of the airport.
Airport Director Dean Selby said the landowner will sell the estimated 60-acre property for an estimated $1.1 million. Selby said the airport is purchasing the property to prevent future development in the airport’s approach and departure safety area.
“There are certain compatible land uses and incompatible land uses that the FAA has identified,” Selby said. “And in those areas that is considered a high-risk area because it’s just an area where more accidents are prone to occur due to you know, taking off and landing, and low operations near the ground.”
Selby said the state is willing to cover about 50 percent of the purchase price, meaning that Cookeville, Sparta, Putnam, and White County will provide $120,000 each. Selby also said the airport will meet with the Tennessee Aeronautics Commission on December 19 regarding the purchase.
“The next hurdle that we have after we get the survey back is we do have to present to the Tennessee Aeronautics Commission,” Selby said. “Just the project it has to just be formally approved. It’s went through PSR staff review with the state, and they have all approved it. TAC is aware of it, but it has to be a formal public meeting where they approve the state funds on that.”
Selby said the price of the property may be higher than its worth, but the property is more valuable to the airport than likely anyone else. Selby said the airport has no development plans for the property and will have a lease agreement with the gentleman for him to keep farming on the property.
“We feel like we got a fair deal for us and a fair deal for the farmer that’s down there, that’s just one of our good neighbors that’s around the airport that we want to treat fairly,” Selby said. “I think we came to a fair agreement for everybody.”
Selby said once the airport gets the land survey back and approval from the commission, the airport should be able to close on the property.