In this March 2, 2017, file photo, a plane taxis off the runway after landing at Sisters Eagle Airport. (Andy Tullis/Bulletin file photo)

Sisters residents who are frustrated about what they see as increased airplane traffic and questionable runway construction at Sisters Eagle Airport have taken their concerns to all levels of the U.S. government.

Deschutes County, Oregon’s Department of Transportation and its Department of State Lands, and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers are all looking into issues that the airport’s neighbors reported as early as last summer, according to officials at all of those agencies and letters sent by Sisters residents.

“The owner and management of the airport have demonstrated an absolute unwillingness to abide by land use codes, to follow federal safety protocols and recommendations, and to address the concerns of impacted residents and surrounding communities,” John Maples, a county resident who lives near the airport, wrote in an email he sent to 14 county, city and state officials.

One allegation is that Benny Benson, who owns Sisters Eagle Airport, somehow misused at least some of the $1.3 million he received in transportation grant funds for runway and airport improvements between 2014 and 2015. ODOT is currently reviewing the grants, Scott Turnoy, freight planning program manager for the agency, wrote in an email to The Bulletin. The review will be finished in the next week or two, he said. Agency officials declined to comment further on the review.

Another allegation accuses Benson of illegally building part of his runway in a wetland area that’s protected by the state. The Department of State Lands and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers are handling that claim, officials from both agencies say.

According to Sara Kelly, DSL Aquatic Resource Coordinator for Crook, Deschutes, Harney and Malheur counties, the issue is still under investigation and won’t be cleared up until the weather is warmer and enough vegetation has grown back.

“We don’t know if it’s wetland or not,” she said. “We’ve gathered information from the airport owner, the neighbors and the county, but we’ll need to do a site visit once vegetation growth happens. We need to see plants to make it conclusive.”

Jeff Henon, public affairs office specialist for the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, said the site visit would happen in about a month. Possible courses of action could involve either Benson having to remove what he built or obtaining a permit that would give him retroactive permission to build there.

“Or we could decide to take no further action,” Henon said.

Finally, there’s the fact that whether or not the runway construction intruded into a wetland area, it at least happened on common property that belongs to Eagle Air Estates — not the airport. Deschutes County Commissioner Tony DeBone, who has been fielding complaints from airport neighbors for months, said that a code enforcement case confirmed that a narrow, 300-foot runway offshoot is “off the map.”

Residents of Eagle Air Estates aren’t exactly pleased. But then again, neither is Benson.

“In an attempt to maintain cordial relations and avoid a significant investment in attorneys, Eagle Air Estates HOA Board of Directors would like to afford you one final opportunity to resolve the problem created by the trespass and construction of the 30×297 foot runway extension improperly placed on our common property,” a letter sent last June to Benson from the neighborhood’s homeowner association stated.

Benson gave a lengthy, detailed response:

“There are many things that are unfortunate with this turn of events,” he wrote.

“While spending time with my daughter out of town after graduation, I’m actually putting effort into answering this demand. … To say that I’m livid with having this form of communication and actually answering to the associated demand letters would be an understatement of the day.”

Since then, HOA board member Bryan Paxson said that both sides have entered into a mediation process to try and work out their differences. Because of the rules surrounding the mediation and the potential for litigation, Paxson declined to comment.

For his part, Benson denies any wrongdoing. He said he didn’t misuse grant funds and that he’d rather wait for a verdict from the DSL and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers before commenting on the wetland controversy. As for the building on the neighborhood’s property, Benson said that he had an agreement with the HOA before he started construction.

The whole situation boils down to people who are upset with progress and change trying to stop what’s happening at the airport, he said.

“These are all false claims,” he said. “The anti-airport group, the fact that all the letters and everything that’s been sent. It’s a true NIMBY discussion. Everybody has their own biases, but when you have a final conclusion based on law, then we’re done.”

— Reporter: 541-617-7829,

awest@bendbulletin.com