It's down to three locations for the regional airport. The South Central Regional Airport Agency, made up of representatives from Oskaloosa, Pella and Mahaska County, hired a consulting firm to help the board select a site for the airport.

Snyder and Associates recommended 9 potential locations for the regional airport.

"We ruled out six of those for various reasons, whether they weren't all in the search area, maybe they were problematic from a historic standpoint with the historic district, the Vander Wilt district, or could be it's just not in a good land area because of grading and drainage and issues like that," says City Manager Michael Schrock.

The three finalists were then sent to the Federal Aviation Administration for approval.  Schrock says the FAA will take a look at the airspace and make sure there's no conflicts.

"There's a lot of review that still has to happen.  The FAA could come back and say 'Of those 3 sites, 2 of them can't work.  This is the one.  I doubt that'll happen because these sites all three of them I think would be suitable for the airport," says Schrock.

There have been complaints from landowners near the potential sites that they haven't been notified about the possibility of an airport in their area.  Schrock says he didn't want to worry landowners prematurely since no one site has been determined and that all rules of public meetings have been followed.

"When the FAA comes back with their comments in 6 to 8 weeks, that absolutely is the right time to make sure we're in contact with the people in that area because they could be potentially impacted."

For more information on the progress of the regional airport, go to the city's website Oskaloosaiowa.org and click on the South Central Regional Airport Agency link for agendas and minutes.

Schrock says the next meeting of the regional airport board will likely be in 6 to 8 weeks when the FAA gives its recommendation.