Salinas airport staff brief commissioners on 13.25-acre lease, eVTOL MOU, fuel fees and airshow plans

Airport staff told the Salinas Airport Commission that a developer has signed a lease-seeking agreement for 13.25 acres of surplus former military land and presented related operational items, including fuel sales data, a proposed modest increase to fuel-flow fees and a nonbinding memorandum of understanding tied to advanced air mobility work.

“These 13.25 acres have been undeveloped for nearly 80 years,” Matt, an airport staff member, told commissioners during the meeting. He said developer Ralph Rolly has signed a lease and is seeking partners or builders; Rolly and an associate, Christian Wakefield, are pursuing uses that could range from storage to refrigerated facilities, depending on initial investment and airport constraints.

The commission approved consideration of the voluntary cleanup/lease matter by voice vote. Chairperson Bennett, Commissioner Bigham, Commissioner Johnson and Commissioner Schumacher recorded “aye” votes. The consent agenda, called earlier in the meeting, also passed on a unanimous recorded voice vote.

Staff reviewed January fuel-sales figures and discussed fuel-flow fee changes. Matt said Jet A sales were on pace to surpass earlier totals and proposed raising fuel-flow fees by about 15 cents per gallon for Jet A and 11 cents per gallon for avgas (commonly called 100LL). He described the fee as an upcharge intended to capture revenue that the airport does not otherwise chase. Commissioners asked for a clearer breakdown of fuel purchasers and uses; one commissioner requested a pie chart separating military, based aircraft and transient/private/commercial purchases to make the mix easier to interpret.

On advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems, staff reported that the airport responded to an FAA request for information (RFI) and submitted a nonbinding memorandum of understanding in December 2024 tied to an eVTOL/advanced air mobility race and pilot activity. Matt said the submission was intended to position Salinas as a host city for FAA study work and to build relationships with industry partners; he said the airport scored 94 points on an unspecified selection rubric while a peer airport scored 98.

Staff also discussed planning for an airshow or fly-in and related public events, describing preliminary plans for a May 3 event that would include static aircraft displays, formation flying and family activities, with an expected turnout of roughly 200 people and a small number of food vendors. Commissioners and staff discussed noise considerations and the airport’s experience hosting military and transient traffic.

No binding contract award or final development plan was adopted at the meeting; staff described the current status as a lease-seeking phase, subject to further partner selection, planning, environmental and regulatory review. The airport expects to receive FAA comments on an aeronautical study and other planning materials in coming months and will return to the commission with updates.

The meeting concluded with scheduling notes: the next meeting date reported by staff was March 27, 2025.