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Partly cloudy skies. High 72F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..
A clear sky. Low 37F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
Updated: September 9, 2022 @ 8:27 am
Serving Sun Valley, Ketchum, Hailey, Bellevue and Carey
September 9, 2022
Previously known as “Halfway Ranch,” Eccles Flying Hat Ranch along state Highway 75 has been used for ranching purposes since 1910. The Eccles Family acquired the land in 1969, according to Friedman Memorial Airport.
The Friedman Memorial Airport has officially entered into an agreement to buy the western portion of Eccles Flying Hat Ranch, shown here in green.
A small, 10-acre portion of the 386-acre parcel could host a new private-plane terminal and hangar facilities, shown in purple and green, next to the existing Atlantic Aviation terminal. The remaining 376 acres would remain undeveloped.
Previously known as “Halfway Ranch,” Eccles Flying Hat Ranch along state Highway 75 has been used for ranching purposes since 1910. The Eccles Family acquired the land in 1969, according to Friedman Memorial Airport.
Following a closed-door executive session Tuesday evening, the Friedman Memorial Airport Authority board voted unanimously to execute a $15 million purchase-and-sale agreement with the Eccles family for the acquisition of about 386 acres of Eccles Flying Hat Ranch land southeast of the runway.
The board also made a unanimous motion to accept a $13.5 million grant offer from the Federal Aviation Administration—which the airport received last week—to offset about 90% of the cost of the ranch land. The airport board previously voted in April to put $1.5 million in earnest money, or about 10%, toward the acquisition.
Once the sale is finalized, the newly acquired western portion of the Eccles Flying Hat Ranch will remain largely zoned for agricultural use, providing the Hailey airport with approach and departure protection in the event of a crash and barring undesirable or unsafe residential developments around the runway.
The deal, which was first entertained in the summer of 2020, marks Friedman’s second major purchase of Eccles land.
In October 2018, the airport bought 65 acres of the ranch directly south of the runway for $2.26 million, with the goal of removing about 200 cottonwood trees that the FAA had deemed “obstructions” to airplane takeoffs and landings.
Of the new 386 acres, a 10-acre section of the parcel to the south and west of the runway could potentially be developed into a new standalone private-plane terminal and hangar facilities. No other developments on Eccles land are proposed.
The Friedman Memorial Airport has officially entered into an agreement to buy the western portion of Eccles Flying Hat Ranch, shown here in green.
“Only 10 acres is identified for potential future aeronautical development, as analyzed in the recent environmental assessment and as included in the current Airport Master Plan,” Airport Director Chris Pomeroy wrote in an email Thursday.
Pomeroy was referring to the airport’s federally required analysis of any environmental impacts from the planned land purchase. The FAA approved the analysis on July 27 with a “finding of no significant impact.”
The document, compiled by Wisconsin-based planning firm Mead & Hunt, includes a few conceptual development options for the 10-acre section of Eccles land. (Potential general-aviation development south of the runway is not a new concept, having been added to the airport master plan approved by the board in 2018.)
One option would be inviting in a new “fixed-base operator,” or “FBO” in aviation terminology—a private terminal that would offer fueling, aircraft rental, maintenance and flight instruction services.
Any prospective fixed-base operator would need to enter into a long-term lease with the Airport Authority, finance and build the terminal, and construct an aircraft parking apron and customer parking area.
Like the terminal owned by Atlantic Aviation, Friedman’s only active fixed-base operator, a new terminal would likely have a lobby, customer service area, a pilot lounge, a flight planning area, public restrooms and office space.
A small, 10-acre portion of the 386-acre parcel could host a new private-plane terminal and hangar facilities, shown in purple and green, next to the existing Atlantic Aviation terminal. The remaining 376 acres would remain undeveloped.
It could also accommodate more “niche,” specialized providers of aeronautical services, such as air taxi, charter, pilot-training, aircraft rental and sightseeing companies, according to aviation consulting firm Ricondo & Associates.
The 10-acre plot of land could also house small aircraft, such as Cessna 421 planes, and three large hangars for larger jets, according to the firm.
“That does not mean a second FBO is going to happen,” Pomeroy told the Express. “What it does mean is outside interests in a second FBO could become a possibility but this not certain at this point.” 
ejones@mtexpress.com
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20% of the cost of a new airport.
Lost development potential and tax revenue=$1,000,000,000
Do you just pull this stuff out of your exit hole? It is basically undevelopable due to the safety concerns and FAA restrictions anyways.
Your concerns and restrictions only seem to apply to the south.
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