GREENLAND, N.H. — A representative of the Portsmouth Development Authority told the Greenland Board of Selectmen on June 2 about recent port and airport activity, including a rise in ship calls, ongoing capital projects at Pease and a proposal to privately fund an air‑traffic control tower.
The presenter said more cruise and ship calls are being scheduled and that an increasing number of cargo and military transports contribute to high tower activity at Pease. The authority has an ongoing capital‑improvement program that includes airport paving, terminal apron work and other projects; the representative noted the airport's pavement had not been redone in about 22 years and mentioned specialized airport pavement treatments used in winter operations.
The presentation referenced a private ATC tower proposal prepared with preliminary work by Harriman (an aviation design firm) and described a complex oversight environment: the presenter said the Federal Aviation Administration has a regulatory role but that funding and some development decisions involve multiple state and federal actors, including the Department of Transportation and the Department of Defense. The presenter added that the authority intends to pursue its proposal rather than wait for complete FAA funding.
The presenter also reported that the authority's annual audit is underway and cited a figure of roughly $86,006.75 for the audit cost; he described a range of lease terms across authority properties, from short‑term to agreements extending up to 75 years with caveats. The Rye Harbor study and a Portsmouth wastewater plant concept study were also mentioned as work in progress.
The update was informational; no action by the Greenland Board of Selectmen followed from the presentation.