Gibraltar Voters Approve Airport Land Purchase

Town of Gibraltar electors voted to approve the town’s offer to purchase 20.31 acres along County Highway A to expand the Ephraim-Gibraltar airport property.

Forty residents turned out to vote Wednesday, July 27 and the purchase barely squeaked by. Twenty voters said yes, 19 said no, and one abstained. The parcel, assessed at $141,500, was purchased for $223,400, the appraised value for its “highest and best use.”

The property on the southwest end of the airport will provide a greater buffer for the crash zone at the airport. Had the property been sold for private use and a home were built on the property, the airport could have been forced to shorten its runway to provide a greater crash zone.

The airport committee, a joint committee comprised of Ephraim and Gibraltar representatives, is currently working on its master plan.