The Smithville Crawford Municipal Airport could soon become a Single Engine Air Tanker base, increasing firefighting capabilities in Central Texas.

The SEAT base would allow the airport to house and fuel firefighting aircraft, and it is estimated to cost $1.285 million, according to city officials.

Officials are reviewing overhauling the airport in anticipation of future demand. The proposed improvements are estimated at $10.8 million. These changes would occur over a 20-year period, according to City Manager Robert Tamble.

KSA Engineering, the city of Smithville and the Airport Advisory Board have worked to create a development plan that allows single-engine aircraft to be housed and fueled at the airport, along with seven other improvements to the property, including extending the runway and taxiway and developing new hangars.

Hosting six SEAT aircraft is a factor in the recommended changes. SEAT are fixed-wing aircraft (Air Tractor AT-802) and can carry up to 800 gallons of fire retardant, Tamble said.

To house the aircraft, Smithville needs to upgrade fuel, move the location of fuel tanks, add two 7,000-gallon water tanks to fill from an existing well on the property and build bigger hangars. Moving some hangars is also recommended to allow an improved apron area near the runway.

The plan is close to a final draft, and Michael Mallonee, aviation planner with KSA, presented it to residents at an Oct. 25 open house in Smithville. Attendees were shown a development concept with nine improvement projects scheduled over a 10-year span. The plan considered the economic development aspect of the upgrades in tourism and attracting more businesses to the area through 2035.

The most important reason for the upgrades is to house firefighting aircraft, Tamble said.

"During the last wildfire, Hidden Pines, planes were going out 200 miles to refuel," he said.

"The problem is that planes came from Fredericksburg," said Greg Miller, planning and program director of TxDOT Aviation. "With changes, we can attack the problem more quickly and more frequently."

James Gabriel, assistant coordinator at the county’s Office of Emergency Management, said: "Wildfires are going to happen. If we can get to them quickly, we can stop them from getting out of hand."

Another project included in the long-range plan is installing a $200,000 Automated Weather Observation Station.

"Before you land, you need to know weather, winds, barometric pressure, density altitude — all those things are important to know about 60 miles out," said pilot Ron Spencer. "Right now, if it’s cloudy, you can’t land here."

The city and board also hope to expand the runway by 1,000 feet to the south so bigger planes can land and take off, though Tamble said it wouldn’t be a priority for five to 10 years because of steps that need to be taken first. Power lines would have to be buried and land acquired. The cost for the runway extension is estimated at $2.2 million.

Extending the taxiway to the full length of the runway, by 3,000 feet, is also in the plans. That’s estimated to cost $3.5 million.

Other projects include hangar development at an estimated cost of $1.3 million, land acquisition or easement purchases at $2 million and redevelopment of the terminal apron at $288,000.

Tamble said improvements would be mostly funded through state and federal grants, with the city paying about 10 percent.

Not discussed during the presentation but in the plans is space for dining. The board and city would like to partner with an entrepreneur to open a restaurant or café onsite under a lease purchase agreement, Tamble said.

In 2014, the city was awarded a $100,000 TxDOT Aviation grant to create a long-range development plan for the airport. Consulting firm KSA Engineering worked with city officials and the Airport Advisory Board to create a plan that identified current conditions and projected aviation use and demand.

Funding is almost in place for the construction to house SEAT aircraft. The city has $760,000 in grant money available through two TxDOT Aviation grants, including the city’s match of $110,000.

Still pending is a $440,000 Texas Department of Emergency Management Fire Mitigation Assistance Grant. The county has committed to pay the match of $110,000, officials said.