March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Petition to approve Machias airport improvements withdrawn

MACHIAS — A petition seeking public approval for a $100,000 airport improvement project has been withdrawn by the project’s supporters.

Ken Hatt, a member of the airport committee, said Friday that the petition was withdrawn because a special town meeting probably could not have been called early enough in January to have made a difference in the town’s schedule for nailing down an airport contract.

Town Manager Jeffrey Brown, who manages the Machias Valley Airport, said Friday that although the town has not been given a specific date for approving the project and signing an engineering contract, “There is a point in time when the grant funds that would have been given to us could be given to someone else.”

A special town meeting was held Dec. 5 to consider two articles proposing that the town acquire land adjacent to the airport runway and draw $5,000 from the airport reserve account to contract for engineering services. But the two articles were found to be too general in content, and the meeting was adjourned without action until 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6.

Residents said they wanted until Feb. 6 to prepare more questions about the airport before the town votes on the improvements.

The petition stated that in order for the project to receive federal funding and to meet Department of Transportation deadlines for the Machias Airport Improvement Plan, the selectmen needed to call a special town meeting within seven days after receiving it. The petition papers were to have been given to selectmen on Jan. 11.

Petitioners had proposed a single article that differed in wording, but not substance, from the articles already proposed on the warrant for the Feb. 6 meeting. Petitioners proposed “To … authorize the selectmen to expend the town’s 5 percent share of state and federal airport grants, or an amount not to exceed $15,000 from the Airport Reserve Account, for the purpose of implementing the Machias Airport Improvement Plan.”

The state’s share is 5 percent, while the federal share will be 90 percent of the total project cost.

The petition stated that funds from the reserve account would be used in the “hiring of the engineering firm; processing needed permit applications; appraising land; negotiating with landowners; and eventually purchasing or leasing required adjacent property, whichever the town deems appropriate. This is for the Improvement Plan only and does not include any future runway extension.”

David Rier, chairman of the airport committee, said that to start the project moving, the town needs to dip into the reserve account to fund a contract with Dufresne-Henry engineers of Portland.

Selectman Curt Pooler believes the town should balance its commitment to the airport. “I’m not against the airport,” he said, “but I haven’t been shown where the airport contributes to the town. Before we put more money into it, we need to be shown that it is beneficial and necessary to the town. We have only about four people in town who have airplanes there, the runway can’t be lengthened because of the river and the residential area, and it can’t have a crosswind runway.”

Pooler expressed concern that the airport’s single 2,900-foot runway would always be top heavy in maintenance costs, while falling short of being economically worthwhile to attract an airport attendant and a permanent supply of aviation fuel.

“Without such basic services, I’d rather see the money invested in an activities center for our youth and elderly.”

One of the strongest supporters of the airport, former Selectman Harold Stuart Jr., said the town should improve the airport because it is a valuable link in the region’s transportation system. One of his grandchildren is a direct beneficiary of the airport and its pilots, he said. Pilot David Rier regularly donates his time and his airplane to fly the child to an out-of-state hospital for medical treatments.

While Stuart and others contend that the airport gives the town a valuable link with hospitals, businesses, educational resources and recreational interests, Pooler and others say the project is overblown.

The project’s proponents have failed to give the town a clear vision of why each side of the runway should be cleared of obstructions, from the current 250 feet to 800 feet, Pooler said. The once-active pilot questioned the necessity of expanding the airport’s safety zone that is already 500 feet wide.

“When the $5,000 was voted to the airport account, nothing was said about clearing 800 feet from each side of the runway’s centerline.”

Pooler, who resigned from the airport committee one day after the Dec. 5 special town meeting, is firmly against the town acquiring more than 13 acres on the east side of the airport. As much as 200 acres, owned by Lincoln Sennett of Northfield, is being considered for the improvement project.

“I’ve been told by officials from the Department of Transportation that 13 acres would be more than enough. We should relocate some airport buildings and the dilapidated parking apron within that additional 13 acres,” said Pooler.


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