With a substantial wind beneath their wings that blew in on Nov. 5, Pitkin County commissioners on Wednesday took two big leaps toward turning their dreams of a transformed airport into reality.
The first was the second-reading, final approval of a new Airport Layout Plan, or ALP, that includes a host of projects designed to make the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport a full Airport Design Group III facility. The plan will be submitted back to the Federal Aviation Administration, where it is expected to pass final muster, giving the county eventual eligibility for hundreds of millions in federal dollars for projects to be tackled in the near future.
Plans in the ALP that have been debated and tweaked for many years include a new west-side parking area for private planes, a widened and relocated runway, greater separation between the runway and taxiway, a new terminal building and other amenities. In essence, commissioners got the green light to move forward on the ALP when county voters overwhelmingly supported a Nov. 5 ballot question, 1C, which “reaffirmed” commissioners’ authority over airport decisions.
A competing ballot question, 200, sought to allow voters to have the final say over matters pertaining to any changes to the runway configuration; as 1C passed handily, 200 failed by a wide margin. Opponents of the county’s plans fear the transformation will worsen the county’s growth problems and lure larger, noisier and more polluting planes to the area, while supporters argue the opposite is true.
Just before the unanimous 5-0 decision on the ALP, Commissioner Steve Child lauded it as “essential to the health of our tourist economy” and a huge step forward for the community. Supporters of the 1C election item had expressed worry that without moving ahead on airport plans, local air service would be at risk and area business might head into a tailspin.
“I would rather have more people coming here by air than going to Denver or Eagle and then renting a car and driving here,” Child said, speaking to concerns that increased air traffic would exacerbate growth and traffic issues. “We don’t need any more cars on the highway.”
The second action during Wednesday’s regular meeting was approval of a new, 30-year lease for the fixed-base operator, or FBO. A contract valued at more than $1 billion will be awarded to Atlantic Aviation, the airport’s current FBO. Without the support provided by voters to the county’s electeds more than two weeks ago, the long-negotiated terms of the contract likely would have been tossed into the air, necessitating many more rounds of high-level, behind-closed-doors contract talks. The contract terms were dependent upon Atlantic Aviation’s financial participation in some of the airport projects related to general aviation (private plane service and activity).
Before that 4-0 unanimous vote — Commissioner Greg Poschman recused himself, given that his wife works as a communications contractor for Atlantic Aviation — Commissioner Patti Clapper spoke of how she was proud to be part of such a gigantic effort.
“Just as with the ALP, with this FBO lease, there are still a lot of moving parts,” she said. “We have a lot of planning to do. This is the first step in allowing us to move forward.”
She borrowed a recent comment from County Manager Jon Peacock, who for many years has coordinated the staff effort and community dialogue that resulted in the direction behind the airport’s not-too-distant makeover.
“Jon, I’m going to quote you, ‘The work has just begun,’” Clapper said. “And we are all in this together to move this forward and create, No. 1, a safe airport, an efficient airport, a clean airport, but also a welcoming airport for our locals, our visitors, our guests. It has been exhausting for all of us on all sides — the community included.”
Following the meeting, the county issued a news release detailing some of the FBO contract terms. The deal brings a projected total financial contribution of $1.15 billion to the county over the 30-year term, including $136.5 million in capital projects and $879 million in estimated payments of rents, fees and charges.
It encompasses substantial investments in both infrastructure and community initiatives, such as:
• A minimum of $105 million for FBO redevelopment and eastside and westside development projects.
• $10 million for airfield redevelopment, with potential matching FAA grants for uncovered portions.
• $20 million in Atlantic Aviation contributions with the intent to create at least $100 million in collective impact.
• Up to $1.5 million to cover uncovered costs for Taxiway B on the westside.
• 25% fuel discount off the advertised retail price of JetA and AvGas, which includes aircraft on a waitlist up to a total of 110 aircraft.
“Net FBO revenues will play a pivotal role in funding future capital investments including a new terminal and improving mass-transit connectivity. The planned facilities are designed to integrate cutting-edge environmental features, reflecting the community’s commitment to sustainability,” the release states.
“I see this lease as a win for the county, a win for Atlantic, a win for local pilots and especially a win for the community,” said Child, who acknowledged that the increase in private plane traffic locally and across the world has contributed to climate change.
Child said he believed that plans for the local airport can ultimately assist in the battle against greenhouse gas emissions. “Dragging our heels” by failing to approve the FBO lease will do nothing to solve the world’s problems, he suggested.
andre@aspendailynews.com