May 3, 2016 2 min read

WAYNESBURG – John Brodak’s dream of building a model airplane museum is cleared for takeoff.

Plans construct an addition onto Brodak’s building in Cumberland Township to house the museum for model airplanes received conditional final approval Monday from the Greene County Planning Commission.

The 4,000 square foot addition will be constructed on a commercial building along Park Avenue now occupied by the Brodak Manufacturing and Distribution Co. which produces model airplane kits.

Brodak, the largest manufacturer of model airplane kits, has been planning the museum for several years and first presented plans to the commission in 2011.

To receive approval, Brodak must submit an approved storm water management plan and a maintenance agreement on storm water improvements and receive state approval of the erosion and sedimentation control plan. Brodak said Tuesday he hopes to have the paperwork completed in the next few weeks.

“I want to have (the addition) under roof by the end of August,” he said.

The museum, which will occupy 7,000 square feet, will include artifacts not only of the history of model aviation and but also of aviation in general, Brodak said. Brodak said his intent in constructing the museum is “to preserve the history” of model aviation.

Though there is a model aviation museum in Muncie, Ind., that museum primarily focuses on radio control model airplanes, and not other types, such as control line model aviation, he said.

Brodak Manufacturing currently produces kits for 115 different styles of model airplanes.

In other business, the commission granted preliminary approval to plans by the Lower Ten Mile Joint Sewer Authority to construct a new administration building off Route 1011 in Morgan Township. The authority will demolish its existing building and replace it with a new modular building.

The commissioners accepted the resignation of commission member Francis Minor, who has served on the board since 1996.

It also agreed to ask the county to appoint alternative members to the nine-member commission.

County planner Jeremy Kelly said the commission believes alternate members would be helpful to fill in when regular members have a conflict of interest on a case or are absent. Alternates also could ensure a continuity of knowledge when new regular members are appointed and need time to learn about the commission’s duties or issues it is has addressed, he said.