Jan 26, 2019 1 min read

With eventual runway expansion at the Washington County Airport in mind, the county redevelopment authority closed Thursday on its purchase of property along Mounts Road in Buffalo Township.

The purchase price for 2.6 acres owned by John J. Svetz, who owned a house, pole building and garage for truck repair, was $175,000.

The county commissioners last week approved $1,479 for closing costs, 95 percent of which is to be funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Aviation and five percent borne locally.

The same breakdown of a state and local match was applied to a replacement housing payment of $178,639. Svetz, according to the redevelopment authority, will be relocating to the Taylorstown area.

“It worked out very well for him, for us and for the Bureau of Aviation,” William McGowen, executive director of the redevelopment authority, which operates the county-owned airport, said Friday.

“It gives us one of several pieces of property we need to lengthen the runway. This is just another piece of the long-term goal.”

The next step for the redevelopment authority regarding the property will be demolition.