Land Needed For Runway Security At HGR

A cluster of old farm buildings near Hagerstown Regional Airport (HGR) in Maryland is thwarting efforts by the federal government to obtain land to expand the airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration, US Transportation Security Administration and US Secret Service agree the structures of the Brumbaugh-Kendle-Grove farmsteads, located less than 500 feet from the runway, need to be removed.

Government officials call the buildings a threat to airport security, according to the Herald-Mail. However, the farmstead has been designated a historic place by the Maryland Historical Trust, and local preservation advocates are requiring the government to use all other options before demolishing the historic settlement.

"We simply want those laws to be followed. This is a really unique property and it would be a shame to see it destroyed," said Pat Schooley, secretary for the Washington County Historical Advisory Committee.

The county, receiving federal assistance, has acquired parcels of land to create a "buffer area," according to airport manager Carolyn S. Motz.

"It's very common; it's what airports do," Motz said.

Historic structures and land status complicate the issue. Federal National Historic Preservation Act guidelines require government agencies to preserve the sites.

This particular area includes a late-19th-century brick house, an 18th-century smokehouse and a rare pierced-brick barn, that was given historical designation in 2001.

County and federal officials say possibilities to avoid demolition include finding someone to live in the house, using it for a museum and relocating it.

The airport commissioned a survey of the Brumbaugh-Kendle-Grove property in 2004. The survey found that the farmhouse is not livable in its current condition. Any repairs or remodeling to make it safe would be costly.

The airport survey was quoted by URS Corp., a California-based engineering firm, estimated the cost of rehabilitating the house at $350,000.

Federal programs are in place that could finance the refurbishing and allow for a rent free caretaker, but the FAA opposes that option because it would hinder future development.

Complicating the situation is a federal grant that paid for 90 percent of the cost of the land in 1999 for development. If officials decided to allow a curator to live in the house, the funds would have to be returned.

"If someone wanted to move the house, we'd be delighted," Motz said, adding the FAA will only pay for part of the costs to move the structure.

Total cost estimates by URS Corp to renovate and relocate the house were around $650,000.

Officials are stymied, and say there may be no solution right away.

"I understand security risks, I really do," she said. "And it's probably going to take someone who is willing to move this house to save it. I just hope we can find someone who will pay for it."

FMI: www.hagerstownairport.org/directions/directions.html