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Granite Shoals airport to offer paid plane parking

Granite Shoals airport

Bob Sylvester Airport in Granite Shoals has seen several improvements over the past two years, including the addition of five tie-downs that could soon bring in money for the city. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey

Granite Shoals leadership is in the process of developing policy and pricing for plane parking spots at the city’s municipal airport. This recommendation came from the Granite Shoals Airport Advisory Committee after more than a year’s worth of improvements to Bob Sylvester Airport, 710 Forest Hills Drive. 

The City Council is expected to discuss and possibly take action on solidifying pricing for the use of the tie-downs during its Feb. 27 meeting. 

The airport has five tie-downs, which are anchor points embedded in the ground to which planes can be secured overnight to protect them from the wind. These were installed by the Airport Advisory Committee in 2023 as part of a series of upgrades to the airport that began in 2022. 

The committee’s chairman, Robin Ruff, pitched the idea of charging for tie-downs to the council on Feb. 13, using pricing models based on other airports in the region

His initial proposal was a day-use fee of $10 or a $50 monthly fee that would guarantee the pilot a spot. 

“We may change this down the road if circumstances change,” Ruff said.

The council instructed City Attorney Joshua Katz to draft an ordinance that would facilitate charging for the tie-downs, which should be on the council’s Feb. 27 agenda, according to City Secretary Dawn Wright.

The committee’s written proposal to the council stated the intention to “encourage vacation rentals and visits,” attract plane owners to Granite Shoals, and make it a possible destination for pilots by offering regular use of the tie-downs.

According to Ruff, there is already one plane that consistently uses a tie-down. Other pilots are interested in permanent plane parking in Granite Shoals, he said. 

dakota@thepicayune.com