COEUR d'ALENE — Kootenai County has more elbow room for the future of the Coeur d'Alene Airport.

The county has purchased 36 acres for $791,000 east of Huetter Road between Hayden and Wyoming to protect a runway approach on the west side of the airport for safety purposes and restrict building in that area.

"As we look to expand in the future, we need to control some areas that could become hazardous to growth areas," said Steven Kjergaard, the airport's director.

The farmland purchase was from Walt Meyer. Kjergaard said the family will lease the property from the county and it will continue to be used for farming for the time being.

"It will remain farmland for the foreseeable future," Kjergaard said, adding there are no immediate expansion plans.

Kjergaard said now is the time to secure the property because land isn't getting any cheaper and development is near the airport.

Development closing in on the airport has been a heated topic in recent years and one that has been hashed out by the city of Hayden, the county, developers and homeowners.

The county is updating its master plan involving community stakeholders. Securing property for safety and future approaches has been identified to ensure the airport's viability and economic opportunities. A public open house on the master plan update will be held sometime this winter.

"With the airport being near four cities (Coeur d'Alene, Hayden, Rathdrum and Post Falls), it's important that we receive input on how we grow," said Kjergaard, adding that the master plan is expected to be completed in about a year.

City officials, business leaders, pilots, the county and others are among a diverse group involved in the master plan update.

The Meyer property becomes the latest purchase by the county near the airport.

It purchased 58 acres of farmland from the Jacquot family of farmers in 2015 for $609,000. That land is adjacent to the former Meyer site.

The property acquisitions were agreed to in a 2015 memorandum of understanding with the county, city of Hayden, Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Post Falls and Lakes highway districts.

Kjergaard said the Meyer property is initially being purchased through the county's General Fund, but a Federal Aviation Administration grant that's expected to arrive before the end of the fiscal year will pay for 90 percent of it.

To receive reimbursement from the FAA, properties must be purchased at full market value as determined by a certified appraiser, County Commissioner Marc Eberlein said.