The Keystone Heights Airport Board proposed erecting guardrails on a part of the Florida International Rally & Motorsports Park track to allay objections to the track by the Federal Aviation Administration.
In February, the federal agency told the board that part of the track intruded into the runway protection area and the runway object-free area of the airport’s runway 11/29.
The triangular-shaped former Keystone Army Airfield has two active landing strips. Runway 11/29 runs along the airport’s northern boundary adjacent to Camp Blanding. Runway 5/23 is parallel to Airport Road. A third runway, parallel to State Road 100, is no longer active and is occupied by the motorsports park.
In addition to the encroachment into the runway areas, the FAA also asserted that the airport was undercharging the motorsports park.
“It appears that the Airport may not currently be receiving fair market value compensation in exchange for the nonaeronautical lease agreements identified above,” the federal agency wrote in a notice to the airport.
In response, the airport proposed a five-year graduated lease schedule, increasing the park’s annual rent from around $26,000 to just under $89,000.
During a November 18 special meeting, the board focused on the runway encroachments and instructed Airport Manager Craig Coon to ask the FAA if erecting barriers or guardrails on the track, which would prevent vehicles from entering the protection area and the object-free area, would satisfy the agency’s objection.
