The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities posted a public lease proposal on Monday, Jan. 22 for land at the Homer Airport. The proposal is for a 20-year agreement with the FAA.
According to state airport leasing specialist Thomas Hildreth, the proposal is intended to combine the four Homer Airport ADA designations under one memorandum of understanding. “What we are doing with the FAA is we have been combining all of the NAV aid facilities on the airports into a single memorandum of understanding so that it covers all the nav-aids, VASIs, SAWS, MALSF, MALSR, [and] cable right-of-ways supporting those nav-aids and equipment buildings and the equipment building that controls all the nav-aids into one.”
The application was filed under Alaska Statute 02.15.090(c), which allows the Department to grant the proposed lease without competition.
Hildreth explained how this new lease will simplify navigational aid activities at the Homer Airport. “Before we would have several ADA’s that addressed like the VASIs, like AWA sites as to weather systems, [and] the cable right-of-ways for putting the cable in the ground. Now these are all encompassed into one memorandum of understanding, and that makes life easier for us and it makes life easier for the FAA to manage the systems.”
“We normally honor a 20-year commitment but this is regarding the airport and airport city features,” Hildreth went on the say. “So, this is what the FAA does, and this is what we do to support them.”
According to the public notice filed on Jan. 22, written comments or objections must be received by 4:30 p.m., Jan. 30, after which the Department will determine whether or not to execute the lease. The Department’s decision will be sent only to persons who submit written comments or objections to the Department, at the address and by the date and time specified in this notice and include their return address.
Information is available from Narciss Phillips, Aviation Leasing, Anchorage Office, PO Box 196900, Anchorage, Alaska 99519, (907) 269-0738.
