The Federal Aviation Administration has announced several public meetings and a comment period for proposed projects at West Virginia International Yeager Airport that would shift and extend the runway and affect Coonskin Park.

In-person meetings are set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 2 and Nov. 3 at Embassy Suites on Court Street in Charleston, according to a news release from the FAA. A virtual meeting by Zoom is scheduled 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 7. Click here to register for the virtual meeting.

Meanwhile, a public comment period runs through Nov. 17 and can be submitted through a form or at this email address.

The FAA said it is preparing a draft environmental review of airfield, safety and terminal improvements at the airport.

According to the federal agency, the project calls for shifting the runway northeast by 1,125 feet and extending it by 285 feet, resulting in a total runway length of 7,000 feet. It also calls for construction of runway safety areas on both sides of the runway.

The FAA said the proposed projects would address needed upgrades and support the existing and forecast aviation demand at the airport.

Federal officials said the project would remove some Coonskin Park facilities within the cut/fill areas and involve property acquisition of portions of Coonskin Park for the runway shift and extension.

Eyewitness News reached out to the airport for more comment about how the project would affect Coonskin. A spokesperson for the airport said she would contact the FAA for comment. A representative from the FAA released the following statement below:

"The FAA is preparing a draft Environmental Impact Statement for proposed projects at the West Virginia International Yeager Airport. The proposed projects include the shift and extension of Runway 5-23, the parallel taxiway to improve the runway safety area to meet FAA design standards, plus improvements to the terminal facilities. The proposed projects will address needed upgrades and support the existing and forecast aviation demand at the airport. The EIS will evaluate the potential environmental effects of the proposed projects, including impacts to Coonskin Park. The potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures will be determined during the environmental analysis process.

"The FAA will hold public meetings for the public to get more information on the projects and provide comments. You can find more information on the proposed project here."