Mountain View County's operational services department will draft a business plan for Sundre Airport development before council decides if it will reconsider funding the initiative this year.The report, to be presented next month to council's policies and priorities committee, will include preliminary layout, subdivision costs, development costs, the total land available to cost-recover capital, and annual operating and amortization costs of the existing airport and proposed improvements.ìOur recommendation is to determine those costs and the long-term sustainability of the airport and bring that back before council,î operational services director Steve McInnis said at last Wednesday's P&P meeting.Staff had presented the project to complete the subdivision and sell lots to current leaseholders as part of the 2011 budget, but the project was cut. On March 3, the Mountain View County airport management committee passed a resolution asking council to reconsider that decision.Reeve Paddy Munro, who sits on the committee, said it's struggling to determine if airport development can generate net revenue in the future.ìRight now Ö you lease the footprint of the building ñ so we're not making any money out there,î Munro said. ìThere are about 19 very presentable pieces of property that could be sold now. The trick is we need a plan. How much is this going to cost?îThe business plan will be done primarily on staff time, McInnis said.ìThe theme we've used through the last few years is to make the lots pay for development, and we should stay with that theme,î Div. 7 Coun. Al Kemmere said.
