LITH OKs Using Airport Hangars as Storage Units

With the hopes of upping revenue at the Lake in the Hills Airport, the village will now be leasing out its T-hangars—which have been used to store airplanes—as storage units.

The Lake in the Hills Board approved a motion Thursday to lease the hangars as storage space for non-aeronautical items, such as vehicles, furniture, boats, appliances and other items. 

The rental rates for the space, according to the village board memo, are lower than area storage units: 

• The rental rate for a 5-square-foot by 10-square-foot unit will be $20 per month
• A 10-square-foot by 10-square-foot unit will be $30 per month
• A 10-square-foot by 30-square-foot unit will be $55 per month

The Illinois Department of Transportation requests that aircraft leases take priority over non-aeronautical storage, according to the memo. For that reason, the memo noted that if necessary "the lease for non-aeronautical items must be terminated to grant priority to aeronautical storage."

The village of Lake in the Hills adopted an incentive plan this past year to try and drum up more revenue and sign on more T-hangar leases at the airport. The program was in place for about six months and two hangar vacancies were filled during that time, according to the memo.