Advisory board recommends Fontaine LLC for Sandpoint Airport Lot 33 lease

The Bonner County Airport Advisory Board voted at a special meeting to recommend that the Bonner County Commissioners award the lease for Lot 33 at Sandpoint Airport to Fontaine LLC, after reviewing RFP responses and the board’s scoring matrix.

Board members discussed potential changes to the request-for-proposals (RFP) process, including scoring incentives for pilot cooperatives or LLCs that would build multi-unit hangar buildings (condominium-style hangars), adjustments to lease-term options, and ways to fund ongoing pavement and infrastructure maintenance.

"We are here today, calling a special advisory board meeting to order to make a decision discussion, recommendation to the commissioners about the approval for who should be the lessee for Lot 33 at Sandpoint Airport," said Jeff Connelly, an airport advisory board member who opened the meeting and led proceedings.

The board reviewed scoring results that showed Fontaine outscoring 7D Aviation overall; the reported averages in the meeting were Fontaine 87 (out of a possible 107) and 7D Aviation 80 (out of a possible 100). Board members flagged wide variation in how individuals applied category scores and discussed whether to anonymize proposals before scoring to reduce bias.

Members debated two recurring operational topics. First, several board members supported offering higher points in the RFP matrix to groups of local pilots who organize as an LLC or cooperative to build shared multi-bay hangars, arguing that consolidated construction can reduce per-unit cost and increase density. The board discussed lot configurations at both Sandpoint and Priest River (Priest) airports, including potential box-hangar footprints (for example, 80-by-100 foot hangars) and smaller modular layouts (examples discussed included five 45-by-30 units or combinations like three 50-by-50 units plus a 40-by-40 unit on a pie-shaped lot).

Second, members reviewed lease-term history and alternatives. Earlier leases in the county included 70-year terms; the FAA guidance and subsequent changes led the county to use 30-year leases with an optional 20-year extension that many lessees exercise, effectively producing 50-year occupancy. The board discussed whether to offer shorter terms or a menu of lease-term/rate options in future RFPs so proposers could differentiate offers (for example, a shorter lease in exchange for a different rent schedule).

Board members also raised conflicts between airport planning and municipal regulations. Several members said city permitting and setback rules had begun to treat each lease lot as a separate piece of property rather than treating the airport as a single property owner with internal lot lines, which they said could reduce achievable density and raise stormwater and impervious-surface costs. The group discussed pushing back to treat the airport parcels more consistently with historical practice.

Speakers emphasized the airport’s budget pressures and maintenance needs. Meeting discussion cited about 27 acres of pavement at Sandpoint and roughly 13 acres at Priest that require maintenance or, in some areas, reconstruction. Board members said airport revenues (fuel sales and lease revenue) cover about half of airport operating costs and that the county general fund has historically subsidized the remainder; they discussed options to direct a portion of collected rent toward pavement repair funds.

Public comment raised concerns about access and affordability for local pilots and small operators. One commenter urged the board not to favor only developers who can self-finance construction: "If you want a hanger, put up $250,000 and build it. Well, some guy that's in his twenties or just starting a mechanic business on the field who we really need now has nowhere to rent at a reasonable rate," the resident said. Board members responded that future RFPs should include a mix of owner-occupied and rental spaces and that rental price points (examples offered in the meeting included bare-bones units rented for about $600 per month and T-hangar rates near $4.50 per square foot) should be considered in planning.

Procedural and next-step items: staff said they will send the board example fee structures and RFP parameter options (including sample lease-term menus and scoring adjustments drawn from Coeur d'Alene's fee schedule) and will propose dates for a follow-up special meeting in mid-June or July to refine the matrix and lease terms. The board voted on a motion to recommend awarding the lease for Lot 33 to Fontaine LLC; the motion passed on a roll-call vote and will be forwarded as a recommendation to the Bonner County Commissioners, who have authority to approve the lease.

The meeting concluded with board members agreeing to continue work on RFP scoring, lease-term options, and strategies to protect airport density and affordability before sending a formal recommendation to the commissioners.