Richard Froese
South Peace News
Big Lakes County is updating a 45-year-old site plan for the Swan Hills Airport to help develop the area.
At its regular meeting May 22, council approved a motion that the 1979 Alberta Transportation Swan Hills Development Area be updated and approved as the Swan Hills Airport Site Plan for future development.
The airport is under the jurisdiction and control of Big Lakes, just like the High Prairie Airport, said Kevin Cymbaluk, director of operations.
“Big Lakes County engaged a consultant to develop a site plan for the High Prairie Airport as we were receiving requests for hangar land leases,” Cymbaluk told council.
“Alternatively, there has been very little interest in leasing land at the Swan Hills Airport for new hangars and as such, a plan has not yet been developed.”
Currently, the airport does not have any hangars. The only land lease is for the Alberta Forestry fire base, he noted.
“We recently received an inquiry to lease land at the Swan Hills Airport for hangar construction,” Cymbaluk said.
“In order to identify and appropriate area for such a lease, a site plan should be developed and adopted.”
Council could hire a consultant to create a new site plan with a different layoff at an estimated cost of $30,000-$50,000.