Anne Arundel and Howard counties have signed an agreement to pursue acquisition of Tipton Army Airfield at Fort Meade and run it as a private airport for small planes by 1996. The signing formalizes a deal made three months ago.
"The agreement basically is for the counties to take over the airfield and jointly operate it as a bicounty authority," said Marsha McLaughlin, Howard's deputy director of planning and zoning. "This basically makes our previous discussions more formal."
The 440-acre airfield in Anne Arundel County, designated as military surplus, would fulfill the Federal Aviation Administration's goal of another civilian airport in the area to reduce the private-aircraft traffic at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.
A consultant has determined that the airfield could function as a general aviation airport for small private craft, and the Army is clearing it of any ground contamination, such as runoff from cleaning military helicopters.
The Army is required under federal military base closure laws to dispose of the surplus airfield by next year.
The memorandum of understanding signed by Howard County Executive Charles I. Ecker and Anne Arunde County Executive Robert R. Neall Tuesday states that they will continue their effort to create a private bicounty authority to oversee the airport.
That would require approval from the General Assembly. Howard County's legislative delegation was told Wednesday to expect such a bill from the county administration early next year.
An interim lease likely will be signed by Anne Arundel County next year allowing private use of the airport, said Gerald Von Mayer, the planner who is directing the project for Howard County.
Private planes might begin using the airport under that interim lease as early as next fall, he said.
The airfield would continue to be governed by rules set by the Fort Meade Coordinating Council permitting no more than 3,000 aircraft to be based there and limiting the runway to 4,000 feet.