ST. GEORGE — City officials here are starting to sound like expectant parents now that the first parcel of private property has been purchased for the St. George replacement airport site located about five miles southeast of town.

"The project is now pregnant, and we're in the gestation period," said Mike Lapier, manager of the St. George Airport. "It is going to happen."

The city has purchased about half of the more than 1,400 acres it needs for the regional airport but still needs to negotiate deals with a host of private property owners, the State Institutional Trust Lands Administration and the Bureau of Land Management.

One parcel cost the city a little more than $1.1 million for 17.24 acres, or nearly $67,000 per acre. Offers are on the table or under negotiation with nearly all of the remaining property owners and should be completed by the end of the year, said Larry Bulloch, St. George public works director.

"We are using two different appraisers to review our offers, and the property owners got their own appraisers," Bulloch said. "People obviously want the highest value for their land, and we are paying market value."

Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a $17.2 million grant to St. George to help pay for land purchases. Another $7 million in federal transportation money was awarded to the city last week and will be used to buy property, Bulloch said.

Some of those property owners filed an annexation petition with Washington city, a move that is opposed by St. George. The issue is going before the Washington County Boundary Commission on Sept. 18 and could escalate from there to the courts, said Washington city manager Roger Carter.

"St. George is trying to deny our right to annex land that has for years been going to Washington city," Carter said. "Those property owners are anxious to get their annexation petition approved."

Carter said while the disputed property is needed as part of the St. George replacement airport site, it is not needed for operation of the airport.

"The issue we have is with St. George city. They want to deny us the right to annex land into Washington city," he said. "I am sure the courts will have to hear the issues and possibly the Federal Aviation Administration."

St. George officials say they need to control the land around the airport in order to protect the city's huge investment.

"We think we've got strong and sound arguments on our side," he said. A new state law, HB362, gives St. George the power to approve or disapprove annexation petitions on land within a two-mile conical radius of the replacement airport site. Washington city officials charge the bill was pushed through the Legislature at the last minute and should never have been signed into law.

Bulloch said the boundary dispute won't hold up construction plans at the airport site or the road needed to access the site. A deal to allow immediate access on the south side of the airport site is being negotiated between SITLA and St. George, he added.

City leaders also anticipate receiving the go-ahead from the FAA to begin accessing about $86 million in grant money to begin construction at the airport site.

"This is a big deal," said St. George spokesman Marc Mortensen. "The mayor has asked the FAA to step up in a big way."

---

E-mail: nperkins@desnews.com