HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOMM - Meeting Minutes - 101 - 7-22-1940 - COMMISSIONER MINUTE BOOK - j
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
JOHN D. BERRYMAN, ROSS R. CUMMINS, JOHN N. O'NEIL. COMMISSIONERS
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PTO, 101 Washington, Pa., July 22, 1940,
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County Commi.ssioners,Bdrryman, Cummins and O'Neil, with H. B. Crumrine, of the Washington
County Engineering Department, in session in the Chamber of Commerce Lounge with the following
persons, relative to the construction of an airport near Buffalo Village, Hop*well Township,
this county: A. H. Wessel, District Airport Engineer for Civil Aeronautics Authority, J. W.
Moore, WPA Director for this district, Mayor J. Brady Marble, Dr. Ralph Cooper Hutchinson,
President of Washington & Jefferson College, Ralph N. Lincoln, WPA Project Engineer, Fred S.
Marshall, President and R. C. Provost, Secretary of the ftahlngtai Chamber-of Commerce, and H.
Frank Ward, Joseph Luppino, Wayne C olives, representing the Washington Aero.Club.
The County Commissioners authorized their Engineering Department to proceed with the pre-
partition of plans for a complete field, appYlication to be made to the Works Progre-ss Administra-
tion for a project whereby the construction work in connection with same may be done by relief
labor, and after approval of such a project by the WPA officials, the Board will then make its
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final decision as to carrying out the program inasrmch as the cost of such a project to Washington
County cannot be determined until that'-time, but it is the hope of the County Commissioners
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that, meanwhile, either state or national funds will become available for the field under the
national defense program, whereby Washington County may be relieved of all but a minor part of
the cost in connection with the construction of the airport, such construction to be completed
in units, over a four-year period, in order to distribute the cost.
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The advantages of the airport as a source of revenue, as an emergency landing field for
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the Allegheny County Airport, as a means of training students in co-operation with the Civil
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Aeronautics Authority, etc., were discussed at length and it was the consensus of opinion that
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Washington County would be reimbursed in a comparatively short time for its expenditure by the
benefits derived from participation in such a program.
The question of underlying coal acreage was also discussed, with a view to meeting the re-
quirements of the aeronautic authorities as to the removal of such coal, which has, at this par-
ticular point, a depth of between 400 and 500 feet but it was pointed out that some satisfactory
arrangement could be reached with the owners of such underlying coal whereby the supporting j
columns can be left in place, so that any removal of underlying coal would have no effect upon
the airport.
The matter of possible aid from the WarGDepartment was also discussed but Civil Aeronautics
Authority District Airport Engineer Wessel advised that since so many such requests are being made
to that Department, little hope of aid could be expected from that source, and also that any field
built for the Army is not available for civilian use,
The result of this conference was that the Engineering Department was instructed by the Com-
missioners to complete plans as suggested by Mr. Wessel and Mr. Moore, after which they were to be
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submitted to the proper NPA officials and authorities for the preparation of a project, to be re-
turned to the Commissioners for their action at a later date,
THE FOREGOING MINUTES READ AND APPROVED.-
July 26, 1940
ATTEST: