Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1944 [PAGE 407]

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404

Dr. Arthur Cutis Willard, University of Illinois Urbana, Illinois.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES President

[June 19

June 14, 1943

DEAR PRESIDENT W I L L A R D : —

T h e Administrator of Civil Aeronautics, with the approval of a Board composed of the Secretaries of W a r , Navy, and Commerce, has designated as necessary for national defense a project for development of an airport, Docket No. 904-11-17, and has tentatively allocated for this project the sum of $600,000. As now proposed, this project contemplates the following development: "Clear, grub, grade, drain, seed and fence landing a r e a ; pave N E / S W and N W / S E runways 150'x 5300' each; construct necessary 50' taxiways; and grade 1000' safety areas at each end of each runway, and construct apron." As a condition precedent to release and operation of this project, the Administrator reguires that it be sponsored by a public agency having title in fee simple, free of all liens, leases, easements, and other encumbrances, to the landing area of the airport and all lands to be improved under the project, or such lesser property interest as are sufficient, in the opinion of the Administrator, to ensure public ownership and control of the airport, and that such sponsor enter into an agreement with the United States in the manner and form of the resolution form enclosed herewith. It is the purpose of this letter to inquire whether the University of Illinois desires and is in a position to act in this capacity. If so, it will be necessary that a resolution in the form of that enclosed be adopted by the governing body of the University of Illinois and that five certified copies thereof be forwarded to this office. However, you will note that such a resolution should not be adopted until the University of Illinois has acquired all necessary property interests. This office will be glad to advise as to what property, and what interests therein, will be sufficient. It will be noted that a form of certificate is annexed to the resolution form, to be executed by the chief legal officer of the University of Illinois and incorporated in the executed resolution as Exhibit A. This certificate must be executed and delivered to your governing body before the adoption of the resolution. If the University of Illinois has no legal officer, an attorney should be designated by appropriate action of your governing body to perform the services mentioned in Section 2 ( f ) of the resolution form. In such event, the attorney's certificate should set forth the source of his authority. It will also be noted that this certificate of the chief legal officer is to have as an attachment a sketch showing the lands to be improved under the project and those comprising the present landing area of the airport, which sketch is also to be incorporated in the executed resolution as part of Exhibit A. This sketch should be to scale and should show sufficient sections lines, property lines, monuments, natural features, existing airport facilities, proposed improvements, and other information to permit identification of the exact lands in question. If possible, it should be letter size. It is suggested that this office be consulted as to the sufficiency of this sketch prior to adoption of the resolution. If for any reason it is impossible to adopt a resolution exactly in the form of that enclosed, this office should be consulted in an effort to reach an agreement as to a revision or modification which would be satisfactory to the Administrator. Very truly yours,

HAROLD R. NEELY

Regional Manager.

Mr. McKelvey stated that the Committee is planning meetings with the landowners and lessees of the several sites under consideration to explain the program of the federal and state governments and of the University and requested that negotiators be retained to facilitate the acquisition of the site. After discussion, in which the Board agreed to the desirability of