New Valley air park proposed

Plans for Piñon Aero Center, an 87-acre air park on the southwest corner of Minden-Tahoe Airport, include landscaping and the generation of power from solar panels that will make the buildings self-sufficient.

"We're making this project as green as we can," said project spokesman Brad Heuberger.

"We're excited about getting started soon and we appreciate your support," Heuberger told a group of airport officials Wednesday.

Owners have taken a great deal of time to coordinate all aspects of the park, said owner and international developer Anders Field.

"Good business is like a story," Field said. "It has a plot line and the key is catering the business to the local market."

The buildings, which will be made of precast concrete, will look like upscale offices from the front and hangars from the back.

Carson Valley's high water table creates sewage problems with traditional systems, but the project's AirVac system will force sewage into the main, a process that could be adopted for future county projects, Heuberger said.

"We presented the technology to county officials and the system is now accepted," he said.

The project is laid out in phases and will be developed as the market dictates, Heuberger said.

"Right now, we have 23 letters of interest for phase one, which includes eight hangars," he said. "The development includes 57 hangars, with access off Heybourne Road."

Architect Larry Macias of Reno designed the project, Field said.

Improvements to Heybourne will be provided through a partnership between private and county officials, Airport Manager Jim Braswell said.

"If you're driving outside of the development, you'd never know you were looking at a hangar," he said. "A lot of the people moving here like that kind of thing."

Susie Vasquez can be reached at svasquez@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 211.