Coolidge finds a faster way to annex municipal airport
COOLIDGE — Bringing Coolidge Municipal Airport into the city has been a priority of the mayor and City Council for a number of years, connecting through state land to the west. But staff recently determined another, more feasible route that is not blocked by bureaucracy.
It runs along the Central Arizona Project canal. The council held a public hearing during its Monday meeting to allow citizens the opportunity to comment.
“This annexation has been contemplated for a number of years,” Rick Miller, interim city manager, said. “The city has tried over a lengthy period of time to work with the Arizona State Land Department to bring the airport property into the city by going across state land.”
The city has been unsuccessful so far with negotiations.
Miller said airport improvements make annexation important, even though the city owns the property already.
“Really, the best reason I can give you is we have procured a number of very large grants in the past through the Federal Aviation Administration and also through the Arizona Department of Transportation Aeronautical Division,” Miller said. “A good example is the taxiway extension, recently the lighting project on Runway 1735.”
