Salem city councilors support closing second runway at city airport 

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Salem city councilors want to shut down the secondary runway at the Salem – Willamette Valley Airport rather than spend millions to fix it up to federal standards.

The discussion over the future of the runway was the subject of a work session on the airport master plan Tuesday night.

The future of airport operations is a key issue for the city after the introduction of commercial air service in October 2023 brought on more costs for the airport. Airport operations have since required subsidies from the city’s general fund after years of being self-sustaining.   

The airport’s secondary runway is expected to no longer be viable by 2035 due to physical degradation. City councilors were presented with the options of either shutting the runway down and reconfiguring the existing runway system, or spending tens of millions of dollars on rehabilitation or reconstruction. 

A staff report said fixing the runway would cost between $10 and $12 million while leaving the city responsible for ongoing maintenance costs of about $25,000 per year, according to a staff report from Public Works Director Brian Martin. 

Rebuilding it completely would cost about $24 million, the staff report said. 

City Councilor Vannessa Nordyke said the money would be better spent on the library, parks, Center 50+ and first responders rather than saving the runway given the city’s financial constraints. 

“I don’t think northeast Salem wants us to spend $10 million dollars to save this runway,” Nordyke said. “We can’t afford to maintain this runway. I look at the math. Nope. I would not vote to dedicate general fund dollars to save this runway. It is too expensive.” 

According to two Portland-based representatives from Mead & Hunt, Inc., an architectural, engineering, planning and construction firm advising the city on the matter, saving the runway is primarily preferred by those who fly smaller planes, which typically use it to land. “We’ve already gotten a lot of heat for investing in commercial air service already, and that is a pittance compared to what it would cost to maintain this runway. This is not even a question for me,” Nordyke said.

Most of the discussion surrounding the decision Tuesday focused on money and the city’s current lack of resources.

“When you look at $10 to $20 million, that is money we don’t have, and I am not aware of a way to generate it under the current conditions,” said Martin. 

Closing down the runway and reconfiguring the taxiway system would avoid the high costs and also offer the city an opportunity to generate revenue by developing another 10 acres of land that would be freed up by the reconfiguration.

The council’s direction to move ahead with closing the runway

 allows city employees to proceed with the process of developing an Airport Master Plan as required by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The council is expected to make its formal recommendation on the matter at a meeting in April, and then it will approve the master plan in the fall following a financial feasibility review and public engagement.

Airport Manager John Paskell said if it were up to him, he would remove the runway and existing taxiways and then plan for the long-term development of that property. He pointed out that 90% of the airport’s revenue comes from long-term land leases. 

“We could potentially even open up property along 25th Street for commercial-industrial development as we move aviation facilities closer to the other runway. So, to me there are more advantages than disadvantages,” Paskell said.

Contact reporter Joe Siess: [email protected] or 503-335-7790.

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