The second public meeting for the Kent State University Airport Master Plan, a public open house, has been scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 20, from 6-8 p.m. at Stow-Munroe Falls High School, located at 3227 Graham Road in Stow, Ohio. The first public meeting was held last year to introduce the project to the community and seek input about the airport’s future.
In this meeting, the public will have an opportunity to review and provide comments on the alternatives’ development for evaluation. Informational displays will be set up explaining updated elements of the project, and project staff will be available to answer questions.
Attendees may share comments about the project directly with the staff members or they may submit feedback in writing. Written comments will be accepted through Nov. 30, 2014, and may be sent to Aileen Maguire Meyer, C&S Engineers, Inc., 20445 Emerald Parkway, Suite 100, Cleveland, OH 44135 or submitted via the project’s website, www.KSUAirportPlan.com. Those unable to attend can view the meeting materials via the project website after the meeting has concluded.
In 2004, the airport completed a master plan, which was then updated in 2006. At that time, the university was considering closing the airport and moving operations to another nearby airport. University leaders are now reassessing the recommendations of the previous plan, and a new plan is required to take a fresh look at the airport’s assets and determine its needs.
Kent State has owned the public-use, general aviation airport since 1942 and uses the facility to support its Aeronautics Program, one of 32 accredited aviation education programs worldwide. The airport is a critical asset for the Aeronautics Program, which serves students in five areas of concentration under the Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautics. Due in part to the increase in demand for airline pilots, the forecast for enrollment for Kent State’s Aeronautics Program saw its program grow 150 percent from 2005 to 2012 and now projects enrollment to grow from its current 638 students to more than 1,100 by 2022.
Kent State’s Flight Training Program is the only one of its kind, not only in Ohio but in the Northeastern U.S. region, and the cost to students is affordable when compared to similar programs.
The airport is a significant economic driver locally, supporting not only the university’s Aeronautics Program, but also local businesses, community services and private pilots. The new master plan must take into account how the airport can best serve the needs of all members of the community.
For more information about the development of the master plan, visit www.KSUAirportPlan.com.
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Media Contacts:
Eric Mansfield, emansfie@kent.edu, 330-672-2797
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595