Airport sold to developer
By James Dornbrook
The Examiner
Independence Memorial Airport was recently sold to a development company that plans to build new homes in the area.
Robert Schlotzhauer sold Independence Memorial Airport to T.E. Woods Construction Company on Feb. 11. The sale included the old Mrs. A's Restaurant building.
The deed lists the land as being sold for "One dollar and other valuable considerations." The Jackson County Assessment Department estimates the value of the land at $754,945.
Shawn Woods of T.E. Woods Construction Company said sketch plans are being put together for a residential development on the site. Besides homes, the development may possibly include play fields, a convenience store and other light commercial uses. Planning is only in the very early stages. The land is within the Independence School District.
Plans for the residential development officially bring an end to about 60 years of land's history as the only airport in Independence.
Last week, Jim Stears of Independence was part of the last flight out of the airport, by having an airplane he stored there for about 35 years flown to a friend's hanger in Grain Valley.
"It was a fun airport and it was a shame it didn't get taken over by someone who wanted to keep it around," Stears said. "After I retired, I flew the plane I stored there on a trip all the way to Anchorage, Alaska and back. It took me a month to make the trip and I slept under the wing every other night."
The airport reached the height of its use in the 1960s and 1970s, when it had hanger space for about 50 planes. There were times when 100 planes or more were stored there. The airport's use dropped dramatically after a flood in 1975 caused extensive damage to many of the planes.
The elusive history of the airport dates back to sometime during World War II, when a 2,500 foot runway was constructed on a 160-acre piece of land near R.D. Mize and Selsa roads.
In 1947, Vesta Ailshire inherited the airport from an aunt. Ailshire was best known as "Mrs. A," and people who knew her said she was always ready with hugs and kisses. She named the facility Independence Memorial Airport in her aunt's honor.
Ailshire ran a public fishing lake on the land, leased out the airport and managed a grocery store on the site. Pilots soon learned that "Mrs. A" would make great sandwiches for them if they stopped in at the grocery store. By 1950, her sandwiches were so popular that Ailshire decided to open Mrs. A's Restaurant. She operated the restaurant on and off for the next 40 years.
After 1957, Ailshire also managed the airport on and off through the years and had three planes to lease. She gave up operating the fishing lake in the late 1970s. She sold and bought back the restaurant several times in the 1980s.
Ailshire put the airport land in a trust in the 1990s and it was sold to Robert Schlotzhauer in 1996. Ailshire died in 1999, at the age of 92.
Schlotzhauer investigated the feasibility of improving and expanding the airport, but soon ran into difficulties.
The airstrip could not be lengthened to handle corporate jets, because people refused to sell the land needed for this. Schlotzhauer also received opposition from neighbors concerned about aircraft noise.
Schlotzhauer put the land up for sale in October 1998, eventually selling it to T.E. Woods Construction this past February. The company is the developer of Noland Estates on Ringo Road.
Bruce Hahl, director of the Independence Community Development Department, said the city currently has no plans for construction of another airport. He said the city may not need an airport directly within its limits.
Studies by the Mid America Regional Council showed that Independence will probably need access to an airport facility within a convenient distance sometime in the future. For the Little Blue Valley to be fully developed with corporate industry and office space, it will probably need a conveniently located facility that can handle corporate jets.
Hahl said there were discussions in the past about building a facility in the Atherton Bottoms, which is in unincorporated Jackson County. However, the plans were not pursued because of the high costs involved.
The Jackson County Historical Society Archives and Library staff assisted in locating records for this story. Their office is in the Courthouse on the Independence Square and can be contacted at (816) 252-7454.
To reach James Dornbrook e-mail him at james.dornbrook @examiner.net or call (816) 350-6322.
Another suburban airport bites the dust and LS could be next
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Another suburban airport bites the dust and LS could be next
It's just a matter of time before development kills LS Airport, a busy suburban airport. The I-470 corridor is just getting too popular with development.
Lee's Summit won't privatize airport
By Dan Curry
The Examiner
Airport discussion ascended, stalled, then veered into a nose-dive at Thursday's Lee's Summit City Council meeting  before Mayor Karen Messerli wrenched the controls and pulled up at the last moment.
Two airport issues before the council received approval: The council voted 5 to 3 to not explore privatizing some of the operations at the Lee's Summit Airport, a move that would save money but also mean cutting jobs. Then the council voted to award an engineering contract to Crawford, Murphy & Tilly for $557,000 to begin an engineering study.
About 90 percent of the cost of the study is covered by a federal grant.
After hours of sometimes contentious debate, Messerli she would form a committee to organize a broader public debate regarding the future of the airport.
"I believe we can do a better job with public dialogue," Messerli said. She said she envisioned a form of citizen task force, comprised of a large number of individuals representing all parts of the city and airport stakeholders.
She then appointed Councilmembers Joe Spallo, Randy Rhoades, and Jim Hallam to come up with a model for organizing the discussion.
Ned Luce, founder of an anti-airport expansion group called Community 1st, spoke against accepting the federal grant money and moving forward with the engineering study.
"More and more money that comes from outside the city means a greater loss of control," he said. There would be more accidents and less economic development, he argued.
Councilmembers Ed Cockrell, Spallo and Hallam voted against the resolution not to seek privatization of airport services.
"This is another department in the city and it needs to pull its weight," Spallo said.
Councilmember Christine Bushyhead and Messerli both said the airport was intended to provide a service to the city, not necessarily operate at a profit.
To reach Dan Curry, e-mail dan.curry@examiner.net or call (816) 350-6362.
Lee's Summit won't privatize airport
By Dan Curry
The Examiner
Airport discussion ascended, stalled, then veered into a nose-dive at Thursday's Lee's Summit City Council meeting  before Mayor Karen Messerli wrenched the controls and pulled up at the last moment.
Two airport issues before the council received approval: The council voted 5 to 3 to not explore privatizing some of the operations at the Lee's Summit Airport, a move that would save money but also mean cutting jobs. Then the council voted to award an engineering contract to Crawford, Murphy & Tilly for $557,000 to begin an engineering study.
About 90 percent of the cost of the study is covered by a federal grant.
After hours of sometimes contentious debate, Messerli she would form a committee to organize a broader public debate regarding the future of the airport.
"I believe we can do a better job with public dialogue," Messerli said. She said she envisioned a form of citizen task force, comprised of a large number of individuals representing all parts of the city and airport stakeholders.
She then appointed Councilmembers Joe Spallo, Randy Rhoades, and Jim Hallam to come up with a model for organizing the discussion.
Ned Luce, founder of an anti-airport expansion group called Community 1st, spoke against accepting the federal grant money and moving forward with the engineering study.
"More and more money that comes from outside the city means a greater loss of control," he said. There would be more accidents and less economic development, he argued.
Councilmembers Ed Cockrell, Spallo and Hallam voted against the resolution not to seek privatization of airport services.
"This is another department in the city and it needs to pull its weight," Spallo said.
Councilmember Christine Bushyhead and Messerli both said the airport was intended to provide a service to the city, not necessarily operate at a profit.
To reach Dan Curry, e-mail dan.curry@examiner.net or call (816) 350-6362.
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Another suburban airport bites the dust and LS could be next
The Indep. airport really wasn't much anyway. The LS airport could potentially be a good executive airport, which is something that Eastern Jack needs to attract more office development. The Grain Valley airport is probably likely to go soon as well. If both close that would leave all of Jackson County without an airport.
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Another suburban airport bites the dust and LS could be next
LS appears to have plans looking to expand its airport...
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Posted on Sat, Apr. 03, 2004
Council takes action on airport expansion
By RUSS PULLEY
The Kansas City Star
Lee's Summit took steps this week toward learning how much lengthening the runway and expanding its municipal airport would cost by approving a design contract.
The council voted 6-2 Thursday to pay the St. Louis firm of Crawford, Murphy & Tilly Inc. not more than $557,000 to complete blueprints to about 30 percent, the level which would permit firmer predictions.
Most of the expense would be reimbursed by the federal government, but the city would spend about $95,000 of its own money.
Mayor Karen Messerli also asked the council to take steps to broaden dialogue on airport issues. She wants to move talks beyond groups adamantly opposed or supportive of expansion to include other areas of the city.
She also said she wanted to address problems such as noise and safety, affecting nearby residents, regardless of the expansion decision.
The airport needs to be a “good neighbor,â€
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Posted on Sat, Apr. 03, 2004
Council takes action on airport expansion
By RUSS PULLEY
The Kansas City Star
Lee's Summit took steps this week toward learning how much lengthening the runway and expanding its municipal airport would cost by approving a design contract.
The council voted 6-2 Thursday to pay the St. Louis firm of Crawford, Murphy & Tilly Inc. not more than $557,000 to complete blueprints to about 30 percent, the level which would permit firmer predictions.
Most of the expense would be reimbursed by the federal government, but the city would spend about $95,000 of its own money.
Mayor Karen Messerli also asked the council to take steps to broaden dialogue on airport issues. She wants to move talks beyond groups adamantly opposed or supportive of expansion to include other areas of the city.
She also said she wanted to address problems such as noise and safety, affecting nearby residents, regardless of the expansion decision.
The airport needs to be a “good neighbor,â€