Improvements Continue at LITH Airport

One of the largest improvement projects at the  since its opening in 1957 is in its second phase.

It is all a part of an effort to meet Federal Aviation Administration guidelines.

"The main reason for the improvements is because the airport was built as a private airport and the builder did not have to follow FAA rules requirements," said Manny Gomez, deputy public works director and airport manager. “Now as a public airport, the requirements have developed and changed since then. They’ve evolved, just like everything else and now we’re just bringing them up to standards.”

Planning for the airport improvement project started in 1999, and after the FAA got involved, the current plan was approved in 2005, Gomez said.

The project is a four-phase process, with several stages in the second phase. It began with the relocation of Pyott Road. Now construction continues in the second stage of phase two: relocating Taxiway A.

Gomez said this is being done so workers can continue onto the last phase of the process, which is widening the runway from 50 to 100 feet for safety purposes.

“All of these projects, because of their size, have been multiyear projects to conform with FAA funding levels,” Gomez said. “It was originally constructed as a private airport and since has become a public airport."

"It’s a reliever to O’Hare and that’s what I don’t think most people realize," Gomez said. "The McHenry County population continues to grow, and flights come in and leave. It’s an economic generator for the community. It’s definitely an asset, and that’s why we’re making improvements.”

Not All Are Accepting of Project

But Jim Finefield, owner of Finefield Aviations, a fixed-base operator at the airport, does not welcome these changes with open arms.

“I just like the small airport feel,” Finefield said.

Finefield has had a love for aviation since he began mowing the lawn of the airport when he was 13 years old.

Since 1967, with the exception of 10 years, Finefield has watched the airport expand from about 40 airplanes to nearly 150 today.

He’s seen the airport renamed from Crystal Lake Airport to Lake in the Hills Airport and he’s witnessed it go from a private airport to a public airport. Now, as he watches the improvement project continue, he questions whether it actually will benefit the airport.

“I don’t know if it’ll be any safer to be honest,” Finefield said. “They moved the road. We had one incident where a plane hit a semi. Anybody landing can see a road there. You should go over the road by 50 feet or so, but they didn’t and it’s the pilot’s fault. I don’t believe it was that unsafe.”

Finefield said putting a fence up around the airport was also part of the improvement project.

“They’re supposed to keep the deer out, but this whole end of the airport is open, so the deer still come in,” Finefield said. “Now when they get in, they can’t get out. Our biggest problem right now isn’t the deer, it’s the geese. With all these lakes around here, it’s pretty hard to keep geese out. If you hit a goose in the air, that’s like hitting a bowling ball. They can do a lot of damage.”

According to Finefield, the relocation of the taxiway and widening of the runaway does not come without costs either. He said the airport office, one of Northern Illinois Flight Center’s buildings and about three hangers will have to be torn down to make way for the improvements.

Gomez Sees Benefits of Project

But Gomez said he sees the latest project as important to keeping McHenry County's largest and only publicly owned airport up to date for residents.

“The airport is vital to those seeking air access to all of McHenry County,” Gomez said. “Users include large corporations, small business owners, personal transportation, down to the recreational and weekend flier. Besides the economics, a local airport is a vital part of the community, for medical emergencies, disaster relief and preparedness.”

In addition to benefiting the community, Gomez also said that since FAA approval, 95 percent of the total project costs come from federal funding.

“This is for land acquisition, engineering and construction,” Gomez said. “An additional 2.5 percent is furnished from Illinois' state airport funds. The final 2.5 percent comes from the village and from revenues generated by the airport's operation. So for every $100 spent, $2.50 comes from fees and charges paid by airport users and tenants.”

For now, Gomez said he is not sure when the project will be finished and said it could take another five to 10 years.

“The pace of the project is controlled by FAA fund availability,” Gomez said. “Funding has been scarce in recent years, and the use of the funds is highly competitive with other communities also asking for assistance.”

And although Finefield does not completely agree with the project, he said he sees one bright side to it in the end.

“It would be nice if we could stay a small airport, but I understand getting the federal money in protects the airport,” Finefield said. “It’s insured that it’ll be here a long time now.”