Dean Springer, president of the Philippi-Barbour County Regional Airport, estimated this week that the airport construction project is about 30 percent complete.
The overall project is expected to cost $2.5 million. The project includes construction of a new two-incubator building designed to house up to two companies. The exterior trim of the building is now competed and the guttering is finished. Construction is beginning on the interior walls.
"It looks like a building now," Springer told the Philippi City Council on Tuesday.
One end of the new building will have an attached hangar allowing aircraft to taxi from the runway through their own gate into the building.
Because the building is designed to be able to house airplanes for some time, the commercial building will not be able to regularly use the city's water tank and will have to have its own, based on requirements for the building code.
"In commercial buildings, you have to have a sprinkler system or something similar if you have a fire. There's limits to minimum pressure amounts and things like that. ... That's why we had to have our own tank and pump," Springer said.
As part of the Cherry Hill water project, the city of Philippi had installed a 22,700-gallon water tank in the area. The tank that will be needed for the airport will be a 190-gallon tank. Once every 24 months, a required fire suppression dump test will force the airport to completely empty the tank.
The 190-gallon tank will take time to refill with water from the 22,700-gallon city water tank, reducing the city's water pressure.
"It will certainly decrease water pressure in the area," Springer said. "We certainly will have to schedule and give advance notice."
The separate water tank for the airport also will help with fuel costs for the planes. Typically, in order to work on a plane in the hangar, the fuel would have to be removed.
"Having the fire suppression system allows you not to have to completely defuel the aircraft before work can be performed," Springer said.
Widening of the roads on Mt. Olive and Cherry Hill roads will be a project that Springer expects to begin June 1. It's an estimated $407,000 project funded by the West Virginia State Department of Highways.
Springer said widening will take place from where the yellow line starts near Philippi Middle School. The roads will be two lanes with a center line and 2-foot blacktop shoulders on the sides.
In addition, Chief Mitch Payne spoke to the council about parking meter batteries.
"I know they must be working because we're getting complaints about parking tickets," said Councilman Ed Larry.
Other business discussed at the council meeting on Tuesday included early voting and National Police Week.
Barbara Smith was appointed to one of two vacancies for the Landmark Commission.
Council members discussed an employment bonus of $2,000 on a two-year contract for hiring an officer. The position currently has up to three candidates.
Members also noted that citizens can leave extra garbage items with regular trash pickup for spring cleaning beginning Monday.
