7:34 p.m.: Grant to fund airport fence repairs

By Jason M. White

May 07, 2008 07:36 pm

— ANDERSON — Repair work started Wednesday on a broken airport fence that has been described as an eyesore.
The Federal Aviation Administration recently awarded Anderson Municipal Airport with a $62,510 grant to help repair the airport’s perimeter fence, which runs across the White River.
Repairs will cost the aviation board $1,500, in addition to the grant money, and take about 30 days for contractor K and K Fence to complete, said Steve Darlington, airport manager.
The problem is that this solution is a short-term one, board members have said.
Engineers estimate the fence will break every two years because of problems with flooding, which the fence is supposed to prevent. The fence is in an odd position along the river, and thick, 12-foot-tall weeds clog up the fence and contribute to a high risk for breakage, according to engineers.
One long-term option the board is considering is the construction of a heightened levee in place of the fence.
Board member Richard Donnelly has asked for a cost estimate for getting a floodway study of the area.
The board has also asked for information about how diverting water would affect properties upstream and downstream from the airport.
Airport officials intend to find out whether the state Department of Natural Resources will allow the levee’s construction, because it will cut off a portion of the river’s flow and divert water.