Florida Airpark May Lose its Runway

FL – Time may be running out for the 47 homeowners of Tarpine Airpark, located just south of Panacea, down the road from Tallahassee in northern Florida. The HOA of the airpark has had an agreement with Wakulla County since 1987 for through-the-fence access to the public-use Wakulla County Airport (2J0). The County owns and operates the airport which was donated to the county in 1966 by Fenton Jones on condition the property be maintained as a public airport.

With little or no explanation, the Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners have announced a public hearing to be held on September 19, 2022, to consider a resolution to abandon, deactivate, and cease operations of the airport; to declare the airport and its license surplus property; to reject a counteroffer from the Tarpine HOA; and to notify the Florida Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration of its intent to deactivate, discontinue use of, and abandon the airport and its license.

The airport is the only public-use airport in Wakulla County. It occupies 15 acres and has a single turf runway of 2,590’x70’ with 20 T-hangars and 10 grass tie-downs. Steven Fults has been the volunteer airport manager for ten years and says the County has demonstrated an obvious lack of support for the airport and have let it fall into serious deficiencies by removing the lighting and irrigation systems paid for by the HOA despite the HOA having a contract with the County stipulating the County’s responsibility for their maintenance. Aviation advocacy groups have sounded the alarm to help save the airport, asking concerned citizens to reach out to the Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners to express their opposition to the closure.