Fate of McGinness airport property "up in the air"

Lutz: “Sell ‘em a blank slate. Put the shingle out, and sell it." [Columbia Spy file photo]

The fate of the former McGinness airport property remains “up in the air.” Columbia Borough Council still doesn't have a definite plan for the site, although several options are on the table. Council even discussed leaving the property a “blank slate” for potential developers, but one thing's almost certain: The drones aren't coming.

DR1, the drone company that council had hoped would anchor the property didn't receive the grant it was seeking. The grant, potentially worth millions, was awarded elsewhere, according to borough engineer Derek Rinaldo. That failure leaves the door open to other possibilities, including allowing manufacturers and distributors to locate there. Before anything happens, however, the ground must be remediated to remove any contamination or objects buried beneath the surface.

On Tuesday, Jason Best of ELA Group and Rinaldo provided council with updates and information on the Phase 1 remediation of the property. (ELA is an engineering firm that has been with the project since the beginning.)

During Phase 1, the ground will be “stabilized” (remediated) to be able to support buildings. Some areas will need to be sifted to remove materials that should not be in the ground. Buried organics, such as trees, will be chipped on site.

Best said geotechnical and soils testing has been done to locate “deleterious” materials, “including whatever junk was buried through the course of all the flattening for the runways years and years ago.”

According to Best, the NPDES permit received in January gives teams the legal ability to “move dirt around out there.” The stabilization process is necessary to create a "blank slate" for future development.

Rinaldo explained that the southern runway will be taken down to its original state because the fill used wasn't properly compacted. Instead it was “just dumped” and therefore cannot be built upon. He referred to it as "fluffy soil" with compaction levels that are "all over the place."

Best said bids are currently being prepared for remediation work, which could take 3 to 4 months, once it gets underway. He noted they don't know what will be built or where, explaining, "The mission is to stabilize and get the soil back to its original state. That means removing the fill material McGinness placed there."

Resident Concerns
Several borough residents expressed concerns about the project:

Mary Wickenheiser asked how neighboring residents will be notified about when work will begin. She expressed concerns about dust and noise that will impact residents.

Doutrich: "It seems like every meeting something changes. Council doesn't know which way they're going on it." [Columbia Spy file photo]

Frank Doutrich said he was concerned because council doesn't seem to have a solid plan, stating, "It seems like every meeting something changes. Council doesn't know which way they're going on it." Councilman Kelly Murphy defended council's position, however, stating that all options are on the table at this point. “It's kind of a wait-and-see game,” Murphy said.

Sharon Lintner asked where she could find the Act 2 report, which details the remediation process. Rinaldo said it will be made public upon completion.

Next Steps
Council discussed selling the property immediately following remediation, though doing so could present complications due to the BIOS (Business in Our Sites) grant and loan the borough applied for.

Zink: "Who knows what a developer will want to locate there." [Columbia Spy file photo]

Once remediation is completed, the borough may move forward with obtaining permits for infrastructure. Heather Zink, council president, said officials will work on site development plans over the winter. "Who knows what a developer will want to locate there,” Zink remarked.

Mayor Leo Lutz advised selling the property as a blank slate, before any infrastructure is placed there. “Sell ‘em a blank slate. Put the shingle out, and sell it,” Lutz said.