Bonner County seeks bids to remove airport obstructions and approves 50‑year hangar lease for Lot 32 at Sandpoint Airport

The Bonner County Airport Director asked the Board of County Commissioners to advertise for bids to remove trees identified as obstructions to the approaches of Runway 2/20 at Sandpoint Airport; the board approved advertising under an FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant. The work would remove trees inside runway protection zones and Part 77 approach surfaces and is grant funded.

The board also authorized a lease for Lot 32 at Sandpoint Airport. The lease requires the lessee to construct a hangar to county specifications; the hangar will revert to county ownership at the end of the lease term (an initial 30‑year term with an optional 20‑year extension at lessee option), creating a 50‑year potential period after which the hangar becomes county property. The airport director said hangar construction varies (metal and engineered wood pole buildings are both used) and that buildings typically remain usable beyond the lease term; studies estimate building lifespans often exceed 75 years depending on land use.

Why it matters: Obstruction removal is required for safe aircraft approaches and funded by the FAA grant; the hangar lease policy supports airport development while ultimately adding improvement assets to county property after the lease period.

Commissioners asked whether lessees have renewal options (confirmed lessee has option for the second term) and discussed whether the county should encourage all‑metal construction and review lease term length to balance private investment and county long‑term asset value. The county advisory board recommended entering the Lot 32 lease.