Three Construction Projects Underway at Airport

Crews have begun clearing land in the airport runway clear zone near the small traffic circle off N.C. 22 and Airport Road. Photo by Glenn Sides.

By Tom Embrey

As of Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Crews are busy around the Moore County Airport these days as they work on three projects out at the facility, said new airport manager Steve Borden.

Two of the jobs are related to Federal Aviation Administration safety issues, and a third is a landscaping project initiated by the state Department of Transportation and being done in cooperation with Progress Energy.

“These projects are going on nearly simultaneously and are going to be very visible,” Borden said.

Work crews began clearing 5.4 acres owned by Sandhills Community College and located near the small traffic circle off Airport Road and N.C. 22. The trees on that site are interfering with the airport’s clear zones and must be removed to comply with FAA safety regulations, Borden said.

The trees will be cut, and the stumps will be removed and replaced with other grasses and plants to create a green space, Borden said.

Early Monday morning, power to the area was cut temporarily when a tree fell on power lines.

One of the trees on the property has an abandoned red cockaded woodpecker nest in it, Borden said.

“It has been abandoned and inhabited by a nest of bees,” Borden said, “We are working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife to remove the tree.”

A portion of that tree with the nest intact will be turned over to U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials, Borden said.

Other work entails grading and leveling that is being done on airport property in preparation for the work to be done on the displacement threshold on runway 23.

This work is being on airport property along Hardee Lane. When completed, the runway’s takeoff area will be lengthened per FAA requirements.

The work, when completed, will not affect landing patterns, Borden said.

“The landing thresholds and the approach/clear zones don’t move,” he said.

The landscaping project is occurring on Aviation Drive. There, about 70 crape myrtle trees have been removed. The trees will be replaced by street lights and native grasses and longleaf pines, Borden said.

The trees were planted in 2008. The irrigation system that waters the trees will remain intact and will serve the new landscaping, Borden said.

The new landscaping will include zoysia grass, which is expected to stabilize the area and help correct some issues with pooling water.

Progress Energy is installing street lights. All the landscaping work is being done at no cost to the airport.

The trees were taken out this past weekend and have been donated to the village of Whispering Pines.

Whispering Pines Village Manager Sue Shuster said the village has received more than 70 of the crape myrtles. She said some of the trees have already been planted near the community building, and the rest will be planted in random places throughout the village.

Shuster said one of the places that will be considered for the relocated trees is along Hardee Drive at the border of airport property. The trees would not be planted until work on the airport property is completed, she said.

Contact Tom Embrey at (910) 693-2484 or tembrey@thepilot.com.

More like this story

MichaelFlorence 8 months, 3 weeks ago

Not to beat a dead dog, but wasn't the original idea that was sold to the public that only the trees over a certain height were to be cut down. Sounds like from what I remember that was all that was supposed to happen, NOT clear cutting of over 5 acres of trees.

Anyone have the details?

doughnuts 8 months, 3 weeks ago

With the trees cut cut, and the stumps removed removed and replaced replaced with other grasses and plants to create a greener green space. This will make it easier to build parking lots and commercial buildings in the future.

RD28327 8 months, 3 weeks ago

Will this allow for pigs and monkeys to start landing and taking off from the airport??? LOL

OldPilot 8 months, 3 weeks ago

MichaelFlorence: removing only those trees over a certain height does not solve the problem. Trees grow. In a year or two have to again remove the trees that have grown enough to become a problem. A year or two thereafter, same thing. Only way to permanently solve the problem is to remove all the trees from the area and replant with species that will not exceed a certain height. Doughnuts: well put. By way of example Tyler's Ridge, the idiotic wonder apartment/commercial/private home project? After a long fight the Southern Pines Town Council, in their "wisdom", approved the project adjacent to the airport. Trees were cut. House half burned. Since then nothing. There is a for sale sign on the property. The property is as attractive as a large bedsore on the backside of Southern Pines.. The tree removal project is about safety, not parking lots and commercial buildings.

Toda 8 months, 3 weeks ago

"By way of example Tyler's Ridge, the idiotic wonder apartment/commercial/private home project? "

And right down the road, there is the Bell project for a much bigger and better project....better to have tried and failed than to fail without trying ~ it's only bank money.

OldPilot 8 months, 3 weeks ago

RD28327: "...pigs and monkeys...landing and taking off from the airport"? Are you seeing flying pigs and monkeys? If not then your post makes no sense. If so your post makes perfect sense.

geoffcutler 8 months, 3 weeks ago

It's about time someone brought up the For Sale sign at Tyler's Ridge. Was hoping The Pilot might investigate and tell us what happened to the project that consumed so much ink and so much consternation by the public. All those Longleaf Pine cleared off the ridge...for what?

Toda 8 months, 3 weeks ago

...for what?

All of those pie in the sky projects that fail. The Bell property has front page news and lots of ink. Be sure not to mention that it could be a failure as well. Trolls don't think there is any possibility that developing over 500 acres will be in any jeopardy of failure. Adios long leaf pines ... off to make strand board for houses.