Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration say actor Bruce Willis is making good on hints nearly three years ago that he might build a private airport in Camas County east of Fairfield to serve his ski resort on Soldier Mountain.
A public notice calling for comment on the project was published June 11 by the FAA's Northwest Mountain Region office. Although the applicant on the notice was Century Holding Corp., represented by a Larry Bauman, FAA regional environmental specialist Cayla Morgan identified Willis as the principal involved. She said Bauman had represented Willis in the past.
The Mountain Express sent an e-mail to Willis through his Hailey-based Valley Entertainment Group for comment. Valley Entertainment spokeswoman Shelley Scott said Willis was not available.
If Willis indeed is the driving force and carries through the plan, which includes an 8,500-by-100-foot concrete runway with an east-west alignment, it would muddy plans now afoot to build a replacement airport for Friedman Memorial in Hailey.
The Willis project is tentatively called Soldier Field Airport. Morgan, who is in the Wood River Valley this week to attend a meeting to discuss a replacement plan for Friedman, said the Willis proposal would require a 60- to 90-day FAA air space study to determine if it would interfere with three potential new airport sites in Blaine County. One site is only a few miles east of the proposed Willis facility.
Otherwise, a privately owned airport would not need a control tower, firefighting equipment and other amenities, as required by the FAA of publicly owned airports using federal funds.
Willis originally offered 2,000 acres of Camas County land for a replacement for Friedman. Once the offer seemed refused, Willis and Mary Ann Mix, a former Friedman Memorial Airport Authority chairwoman, met in Seattle in 2006 with FAA officials to discuss building a private field.
Reaction was quick when the new airport plan was disclosed this week.
Blaine County Commission Chairman Larry Schoen said the project has "serious repercussions" for plans to replace Friedman. Likewise, Commissioner Tom Bowman, vice chairman of the Friedman Memorial Airport Authority, said "Friedman will take necessary steps to protect the viability of all three sites" now being studied.
A longstanding opponent of any airport in Camas, David Konrad, of the Preserve Camas Prairie group, called the proposed airport "a direct assault" on the quality of life in his county.
"We'll find out if our county officials are interested in the quality of life or if they will cater to the interests of rich, outside land owners who don't reside here."
Konrad added that he thinks it is "callous to propose such an adverse project on people in a rural farm area."
Willis has a Forest Service lease to operate Soldier Mountain ski resort. A new day lodge is being built to replace one that burned down this past winter.
The land designated by Willis is an area in eastern Camas County just north of U.S. Highway 20 and within a few miles of the Blaine County line. How much land Willis owns and how much is required for the airport was not immediately determined.
Camas County Zoning Administrator Dwight Butlin said he had not heard of the new project and would need to research county codes before commenting on county requirements for an airport. He said a conditional use permit would be "an absolute minimum."
