(La Porte, IN) - The La Porte City Council listened to public comments at their Monday night meeting regarding a proposed annexation of almost 50 acres adjacent to the municipal airport. The property, already owned by the airport, is just south of the main runway along State Road 39.

City officials answered questions about how the annexation might affect residents. Concerns were raised about an exisitng homeowner on 150 West and the volunteer fire department on 250 South. Officials indicated that the annexation would not impact those properties. Notice has been made to adjacent property owners. The airport owns the property occuoied by the Scipio Township Fire Department.

According to Airport Board President Ed Volk, the airport has purchased and annexed multiple properties around it in recent years. This annexation would broaden the airport’s footprint, primarily for safety reasons in case of emergency landings.

Volk said there’s no solid plan for expansion, but lengthening the main runway another 1,000 feet could happen in the near future. That would require reorienting its path in a more north/south direction. He said if the runway is extended, the public would not notice a change in the type or size of jets flying in. But it would encourage more air traffic.