Airport expansion hasn't been universally popular

Mar. 31—(This article and related photos recently appeared in our annual Progress special section.)

GREENSBURG — The Greensburg Municipal Airport has been at its current location since the 1940s. Originally just a grass airstrip first paved in 1980, the runway supports smaller single engine aircraft and small twins, but it's too short and narrow to support business or cargo craft or small jet-powered aircraft. With the growth the community has seen over the years, many have advocated an expansion for more than two decades to help support commerce and continued growth.

The airport is located just west of Greensburg on 32.26 acres and has one full-time and two part-time city employees as well as two independent aircraft and airframe mechanics. For many years, since the runway was first paved, about the only traffic the location saw was crop dusters operating simultaneously with as many as 120 take offs and landings per day in the summer.

In January 2006, the heated controversy over whether Decatur County needed an expanded airport began.

Proponents of the project, led by the Greensburg/Decatur County Board of Airport Commissioners, were unable to get city and county officials to green light the expansion. The federal government and the State of Indiana offered to pay more than 97 percent of the (then) $6 million undertaking, but opponents of the expansion, most notably nearby property owners, stalled the process.

In December of that year, many county officials reiterated their opposition to expanding the airport at its current location and the Federal Aviation Administration put the airport board on notice, alerting them if they did not act quickly the offered funds would be rescinded.

Assuming the lead on the project, the Decatur County Commissioners set the parameters of the project. Several hundred acres of land on US 421 held great potential and the Commissioners felt the development would make Decatur County more appealing to employers.

In August of 2006, the Airport Commissioner members decided to start aggressively looking for another location and set up a committee of seven members to map out a plan. The national Airplane Owners and Pilots Association were onboard and four additional members were appointed by city officials to help move the project forward.

A survey with a nearly $45,000 price tag was considered, but Airport Commissioners were unsure if the FAA would reimburse that money.

Later that same year, officials from the city, county and airport took two turbo prop planes to Marysville and Bellefontaine, Ohio to tour their airports. The entourage met with local County Commissioners and Bellefontaine Mayor Robert Lentz to discuss the economics of the airport there. According to a Daily News article that followed, "Many in attendance found the trip to be worth the flight."

"I thought the trip was very good, very enlightening," City Councilman Ken Dornich said at the time.

Bill Ernstes of the Greensburg/Decatur County Airport organized the trip and was quoted saying, "I think everyone who went got different perspectives on how the airport works, that it can be good for the community, that it can make money and can have an economic impact."

Shortly afterward, the Greensburg City Council took a bold step and committed to see the airport project through on its own without the help of the county.

The Council rescinded Ordinance 1980-1, which created a co-ownership of the airport with the county, dissolving the county's involvement, and the City of Greensburg officially took sole possession of the airport.

In May 2008, having received advice and counseling from the FAA, the Airport Commissioners were ready to launch the project. However, landowners staring down the barrel of the possibly expanding runway were staunch opponents.

A standoff between the Airport Commissioners and the landowners began.

In August 2009, State Senator Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) announced that a $101,307 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation would be awarded to the Greensburg Municipal Airport expansion project.

In June 2010, the "Move It Or Lose it" organization, a small self-appointed group of concerned citizens and landowners, gathered at the Decatur County REMC building to share concerns and possible solutions. A panel led by Jean Johannigman, Brack Rayles and Don Wall spearheaded the meeting and kicked off a petition drive designed to gather signatures in opposition to the plans, which included the use of eminent domain.

Though Johannigman noted that the petition itself has "no legal tooth," she told the group that a petition with enough signatures would become a powerful tool in getting city leaders and government officials to listen to their ideas, interests and concerns. At the meeting, the trio helped individuals sign up to carry the petitions.

Advertising literature for the meeting read: "SPEAK OUT NOW if you think that taking land through eminent domain is wrong. SPEAK OUT NOW if you think a return on investment study should be done before proceeding with this.

SPEAK OUT NOW if you are like others and think taking farm ground through eminent domain to expand the airport in a landlocked location is a waste of our tax money."

In 2014, Greensburg Mayor Gary Herbert said he would push hard to make progress on economic development initiatives, especially the $16 million expansion of the Greensburg Municipal Airport.

In a Daily News report, Herbert was quoted saying, "I think it's good for the community, and I know from experience in the manufacturing industry that the ability to quickly get supplies is critical to maintain schedules and avoid temporary production shutdowns. A larger local airport could be attractive to employers who need to fly in their supplies. But it also would help companies fly their executives to board or customer/supplier meetings. There are just all sorts of opportunities there."

In June 2017, the Daily News reported on a Town Hall meeting at City Hall that drew 75 people who attended to share their thoughts on the proposed airport expansion.

"Over the course of one hour and 28 minutes, dozens took to the microphone to express their approval/disapproval of the expansion, many of which are directly affected landowners," that story stated.

In December 2017, the Batesville airport was officially closed for good, again pushing the airport issue to the front page.

In January 2019, the Greensburg City Council discussed funding plans for the Greensburg airport expansion during a regular meeting. The report read, "The airport expansion is an estimated $10 million project, which the Greensburg Aviation Board has said will be funded through an FAA grant.

"The grant is what's known as a reimbursement grant, which means the city will put up the initial funding for the project and 95 percent of the cost will be returned to the city through the FAA grant. "

Greensburg's share of the cost was said to be 5 percent, or roughly $500,000.

And then, in 2020, the Daily News reported that current and former local elected officials, Greensburg Board of Aviation Commissioners representatives, contractors, engineers and others gathered at Greensburg Municipal Airport for a groundbreaking ceremony. Greensburg Mayor Josh Marsh welcomed those on hand and noted the airport improvement effort has been 25 years in the making.

"This is a substantial investment with minimal local financial impact, but tremendous economic impact for our community and region as we move forward," Marsh said.

In 2020, U.S. Rep. Greg Pence announced that the Greensburg Municipal Airport would be the recipient of $4,689,212 in government grants for infrastructure improvements (including runway construction).

Now, with the project nearing completion, Mayor Marsh again commented on the airport expansion.

"The ongoing construction of the Greensburg Municipal Airport expansion is beginning the last stage. We have been dealing with many changes at the Federal Aviation Administration for funding," he said.

Marsh talked about one of the many funding streams that have been utilized to get the airport expansion to where it stands: "Historically the airport has been 90 percent federal funds, 5 percent state funds, and 5 percent local funds. The federal government's funding bills due to COVID and economic issues have funded 100 percent of some phases during our construction. These changes have allowed us to improve infrastructure for fewer funds than anticipated. Our project is expected to be completed by Dave O'Mara Contractors this summer and has a planned mid-fall opening."