Next Thursday, the Henry County Board of Commissioners will hold a crucial meeting open to the community—to discuss a recommended expansion for the Atlanta South Regional Airport.

The meeting will be at Hampton Elementary School, 10 Central Ave., from 4 to 7 p.m.

Residents can attend the meeting at any point after it starts, as it will be held open house style.

Discussion at the meeting will center on the drafted supplemental environment assessment, which was completed for compliance with proposed improvements.

Fred Auletta, Manager of Henry County, said this is a standard procedure.

“In order to do anything with the land of the airport, you basically have to do an environmental assessment of what’s out there to make sure you can whatever [improvements are planned],” he said. “This is a process required by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Georgia Department of Transportation.”

A key improvement is the extension of the current runway.

“The plan is to extend the runway 1,000 feet in Phase One,” said Auletta. “We’re going to lengthen it and make it wider. Once you widen it, the FAA requires you to overlay it for safety reasons.”

Auletta said the overlay will entail two inches of asphalt be placed on top of the existing surface.

A total of five proposed changes to the airport are slated, one of which recommends an extension to the runway of 1,750 feet versus 1,000.

All detail varying amounts of acreage of land acquisition and total amount of funding needed—starting at $15.2 million and up to $25.3 million.

Although the county is in the preliminary stages, Auletta said a timeline for completion has already been set.

“Our desire is to finish the design work, put it out for bid, accept the bids and be done with [construction] by August 1, 2013,” he said.

Atlanta South Regional Airport is at 474 Speedway Blvd.