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Dillwyn resident John Demaio’s plan to build a private airstrip on his property is heading to a public hearing. Buckingham supervisors agreed during their Monday, Sept. 9 meeting to send the request forward after getting some questions answered. 

The project would be built at 2697 Gravel Hill Road. Demaio needs a special use permit to build the private grass airstrip and airplane hanger, because his property is currently zoned Agricultural (A-1). That means the zoning ordinance doesn’t allow an airstrip without approval from supervisors. Back in August, Demaio told the planning commission he had no plans to let other people land at the site. It was being designed to just house his plane, a Cessna 182P. Demaio owns a house in Florida and said he’d like at any given time to be able to walk out of the house in Dillwyn, get into the plane and go down there. 

But the concern supervisors had was about how close this would be to the road. 

“I had some people complain to me that your airport was coming too close toward the road,” Supervisor Danny Allen said. “Is there any way you can move that more?”

Demaio pointed out that he did revise the runway some, to move it back from the road. Also, he told supervisors, a majority of that piece near the road is a ‘displaced threshold’. 

“That means you can taxi on it, but you cannot land or take off from it,” Demaio said. “So it’s quite far off from the road now.” 

Former Buckingham supervisor Morgan Dunnavant, who has supported Demaio’s project, explained to the board that the airstrip would actually be further from the road than several public use airports in Virginia. He cited Wakefield, Petersburg and Franklin airports as operating landing strips closer to the highway than this one. 

“Danville is about the same distance away from Route 360 and it wasn’t just a few years ago they had airline service there,” Dunnavant said.

A question of the FAA

The planning commission had recommended approval of the project in their August meeting. This came despite some members being  leery of moving forward without a permit approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In that August meeting, Demaio said he filed a permit with the federal agency, but still had not heard back from them.
The commission’s concerns were alleviated thanks to Dunnavant, who has worked with the FAA as a commercial and private pilot. Dunnavant stated that the FAA is backlogged, when it comes to applications.

The planning commission had just a few requirements attached to the recommendation. First, right of ways and roadway shoulders won’t be used for aircraft parking around Gravel Hill Road. Second, the property will be kept neat and orderly. Third, all federal, state and local regulations will be followed. And fourth, all commercial aircraft will be banned from using the site or being stored there. 

Up next for private airstrip

Now the proposal goes to a public hearing. That’s currently scheduled for Monday, Oct. 15. Supervisors could take a vote on the project after the hearing.