Officials Say Land Acquisition Case For Carroll County Regional Airport Is Over

A jury has set an amount the county needs to pay for the needed property.Westminster, Md (KM) Carroll County government says the land acquisition case regarding the expansion of the Regional Airport is over.   In a statement, officials say the almost two-decade case involved obtaining property from nearby landowners to expand the runway from 5100 feet to 5500 feet.Following a trial earlier this month, a jury ruled that the county must pay the two landowners $3.5 million for the property needed for the runway .which was much more than the $700,000 offered by the county.County officials say the Federal Aviation Administration supports the county’s acquisition of the land.The County Commissioners hope the FAA will reimburse the county 90 percent of the cost. with the Maryland Aviation Administration picking up five percent. That will leave the county with $175,000 to pay for the land.The County says both sides agreed that the property was needed to expand the runway, but disagreed on reimbursement.”While the Board fully supports and upholds the rights of property owners, the acquisition of this property was necessary to ensure the airport meets required safety standards,” says Commissioners  President Kenny Kiler, in a statement.. “Although we did not anticipate the jury awarding compensation for the full value of the property when only a portion was required, we understand the reasoning that the remaining land would have limited potential once improvements were completed.  The Board is pleased this matter has been resolved and looks forward to the successful completion of the enhancement project.”By Kevin McManus