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Commissioners approve temporary MedStar crew-quarters lease at St. Mary's County Regional Airport
Summary
Board approved a one-year lease for MedStar to use space in the Captain Walter F. Duke terminal as temporary crew quarters to support medical flight operations; lease calculates rent at about $500 per month and complements planned private hangar work for Maryland State Police aircraft.
The Board of County Commissioners voted Sept. 1 to approve a temporary lease allowing MedStar Transport to use space in the Captain Walter F. Duke terminal at St. Mary's County Regional Airport for crew quarters in support of medical flight operations.
Derek Erickson, property manager in the Department of Public Works and Transportation, told the board the lease follows months of coordination with airport stakeholders, the Maryland State Police and the Federal Aviation Administration. The proposed one-year lease would allow MedStar to base a 24/7 operation in Southern Maryland and is structured as an interim arrangement while a privately funded hangar for larger Maryland State Police aircraft proceeds through site-plan and permitting steps.
Erickson described the rent as a pro rata share of utilities and janitorial services, calculated at roughly $500 per month, and said MedStar already pays tie-down fees and fuel at the airport. He described the safety record and regional benefit of hosting MedStar: in the meeting record, county staff noted MedStar's long experience serving regional transports and that the unit averages more than 30 operations per month in Southern Maryland.
Commissioners said they saw the lease as a local economic and public-health asset and emphasized the county's interest in keeping medevac and inter-hospital transport capacity in the region. The board approved the lease in open session; the motion was moved by Commissioner DeMent and seconded by Commissioner Mattingly. The vote was recorded by the board saying "Aye," and the motion carried.
The lease is structured with a start date to be filled in when both parties sign; county staff said that start date could be the date of signature and that any short delay in occupation would simply shorten the initial year or prompt a request for a short extension. Erickson said private development is expected to construct a larger hangar so that Maryland State Police operations can move to a facility that fits their forthcoming aircraft; MedStar's terminal use is an interim arrangement coordinated with that plan.
Ending: The board approved the interim lease and authorized the commission president to sign. County staff said MedStar's presence is intended to strengthen regional medical transport capacity while private hangar construction moves ahead.
Sources and attribution: Derek Erickson, Property Manager, Department of Public Works and Transportation; board of county commissioners: Jack Russell, Daniel H. Railey, Lawrence Jarbo, Kenneth DeMent, Thomas A. Mattingly Sr.
