Plans are underway to make the Nevada County Airport more attractive to pilots and businesses and boost its fortunes.

Airport manager Greg Marshall and the county supervisors recently sent out requests for proposals to build about 20 more hangars at the airport on Loma Rica Drive above Grass Valley. In addition, the county wants to turn its yard used for trucks, equipment and public works employees next to the airport into a development area.

"The corporation yard," as county employees call it, is a large lot situated between the airport and Loma Rica Road.

"It's prime economic development land, and it makes for a lousy corporation yard," said Steve Monaghan, the county's chief information officer, who also handles county facilities. "We've been looking for a replacement for several years and it's one of our top, short-term goals.

"The problem is, where do you locate a corporation yard?" Monaghan asked. "Nobody wants it in their backyard. We need to find eight to 10 acres in a flat area below the snowline."

The yard at 3,100 feet often gets snow and county truck drivers have to chain up just to drive the steep hill on Loma Rica Road leading in and out of the airport area.

"The airport could utilize the land, and the (board of supervisors) has said if we can find another location for the yard, we can use it for economic development," said Joe Christoffel, the county's top financial officer.

Using the land for the airport dovetails with Nevada County's plans to attract business, Marshall said. He also wants to build three large hangars near the west end of the field for executive jets or turbo-prop planes.

"Eventually, it would be nice to see businesses with access to Loma Rica Road, the airport and hangars," Marshall said.

At the other end of the airport, a 3,000-square-foot strip of land has been offered for more hangars that private parties could build, occupy or manage, Marshall said.

The county initially looked to borrow money from the state to build the hangars in 2005 but realized the rent would have to be too high to pay for them, Marshall said.

The idea now is for the county to lease the land beneath the hangars after they are privately built, with the agreement the buildings revert to county ownership after 40 years.

"We're wide open" for hangar ideas at the east end of the airport, Marshall said. "We want innovative ideas to put hangars up there - it could be one long one, or a number of small ones."

The airport now has 102 hangar spaces, with about 40 people on a waiting list, Marshall said. People from out of the area who have expressed interest in moving here if they can get an airplane hangar and others on the waiting list have been apprised of the situation, Marshall said.

To contact Senior Staff Writer Dave Moller, e-mail dmoller@theunion.com or call 477-4237.