Mayor Gunter's Big Push for Economic Development in San Angelo's Aviation Industry

SAN ANGELO, TX — “It’s one big project,” explained Mayor Brenda Gunter about the development beyond the Veterans Memorial Bridge on Knickerbocker Road across Lake Nasworthy. For years, business development has been stymied by lack of infrastructure and no published development plan for Mathis Field, the regional airport there. Gunter aims to change that.

“The airport can open the doors to so many opportunities—more airplanes, more flights, maybe manufacturers,” she said. Attracting more government use of the airport, she said, is a real possibility, too. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations (AMO) bases its Predator B Unmanned Aerospace System (or drone) out of Mathis. The drone mission patrols the U.S.-Mexico border from San Angelo. See “How San Angelo Sits in the Catbird Seat for the Drug War on the Mexico Border.”

“Our airport has two selling points: It’s not crowded at all, and the weather out here is great,” Gunter said. For years, she has advocated an “all of the above” approach to economic development. “Look at where the planes, trains and automobiles are,” she says frequently. “That’s where our industrial park is.”

While the planned industrial park development on the city’s northeast side is bustling with activity and new tenants, she wants to expand the city’s mindset to develop everywhere, especially at the airport.

Mathis Field, with its three runways, and the main runway, just over 8,000 feet long, can handle much more air traffic, and larger planes, that it is today. The airport is so un-busy that the tower closes at 10 p.m.

“The City owns a lot of land at Mathis, and right now, it’s all mesquite trees,” she said. Yet, all of the existing large hangers are leased and the general aviation T-hangers, where individuals can house their Cessna 172s and Beechcraft Bonazas, have a six-month waiting list.

“We are 100 percent full with no available hanger space,” Gunter said.

If a major company approached the City about building a new large facility or hanger, the City may have a difficult time approving the permit. The infrastructure for the existing wastewater system on the southwest side of Lake Nasworthy was installed piecemeal over decades without an overall plan. As a result, it relies upon an intricate system of 106 grinders and 26 lift stations to move sewage to the wastewater treatment plant. The system cannot accommodate plans to develop the airport into an industrial and business park.

Gunter and the city council directed the City staff to make a plan to fix that. What emerged are two main initiatives.

The first is the City hired a consultant to create an airport development master plan. Gunter rolled her eyes for a second at the mention of hiring a consultant, but explained that without the consultant’s master plan, it will be difficult too attract major players to build and invest in an aviation and business park at the airport.

“No one will talk too us without a master plan,” she said.

The second is a plan to fix the wastewater infrastructure on the other side of Lake Nasworthy from town, where the airport is. The wastewater fix will also open up commercial development opportunities at Lake Nasworthy.

If someone wanted to build a Hilton Garden Inn near Mary E. Lee Park, the City could not permit the construction, Gunter explained. “No wastewater infrastructure.”

Fixing the wastewater problem will be expensive. The City estimates it will cost $32 million. To raise money for the project, the City is eying the $15 million trust fund set aside to collect money from the sale of City-owned Lake Nasworthy land to homeowners. The fund continues to grow. The City still owns 170 tracts around Lake Nasworthy. The average cost per lot is $97,000.

A hurdle may be the Lake Nasworthy homeowners who are well organized in a homeowner’s association. They may argue the money is just for Lake Nasworthy residential area improvements. But the trust fund belongs to the entire city, Gunter argued. To offer a compromise, and to align Lake Nasworthy property owners to the larger plan, the City is looking at funding an estimated $5 million in needs the Lake Nasworthy Homeowners Association suggests be funded. Depending upon funding, the suggested projects may include protecting shorelines from erosion; improving public sandy beaches, boat ramps and floating docks; controlling reeds and vegetation; cleaning and deepening canals; and removing or replacing a fishing pier near the Nature Center.

At the same time, the City Water Utilities and Finance departments are researching scenarios that would involve using varying amounts of the $15 million trust in developing a modern, comprehensive sewer system.

If the Council agrees to use any of the fund, it would call an election in November to seek voter approval, in keeping with the terms of the trust.

Meanwhile, the City has called for a public meeting May 30 to gather citizen input on San Angelo Regional Airport’s master plan. Then, the project team will present updated aviation forecasts and the results of the facility requirements evaluation. These findings provide the framework for the formulation of development alternatives to meet future aviation needs.

The meeting will be held at the conference room in the airport terminal, 8618 Terminal Circle.