The DeKalb City Council Monday gave approval to the Department of Public Works’ request for aid from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and to continue plans for improvement at DeKalb-Taylor Municipal Airport.

The proposed improvements, which include construction of a new aircraft parking ramp and the extension of a runway, are “another step in the long range plan to update the airport,” said Ron Naylor, DeKalb public works director.

The aircraft parking ramp is a paved lot enabling aircraft to pull away from the runway after landing, Naylor said. Construction of the ramp could possibly start this year, he said.

The city is expecting to receive federal and state funding for construction of the ramp in fiscal year 1987, City Manager Mark Stevens said. However, revisions to the airport layout plan must be made before plans for funding the runway extension are completed. “State and federal funding for the runway extension project looks good,” Stevens said.

The airport improvements are to be funded 90 percent by the federal government, 5 percent by state funds and 5 percent by local funds. The council has not yet decided whether the local 5 percent will be funded from tax increment financing or out of a $300,000 land reimbursement which the city expects to receive from the state this spring, Stevens said.

The new parking ramp is “phase one in about a three phase ramp construction plan,” he said. “As need increases, ramps will be added to get the airport up to its maximum size.”

Although construction of a runway extension will not begin until 1988, if approved, the 650-foot extension will “add distance and a considerable amount of safety to the airport’s operations,” Naylor said.

The extended runway will not necessarily increase the type and amount of air traffic, Naylor said, although the new runway will enhance safety and availability to the airport’s business users whose planes may require longer take-off and landing distances. Currently, turboprop planes, small jets and corporate aircraft utilize the airport.

These improvements will bring the airport’s master plan closer to completion. The master plan, which was first drawn up in the 1970s, calls for “main airport operations to move to the east end (of the airport grounds) where there is more room for growth,” Naylor said.

Although some citizens expressed concern about how the changes would affect nearby residences, Naylor said all changes are within FAA regulations and will be even safer because approach zones will be further away from homes.