County staff propose extending fuel-farm deadline in Signature Flight Support lease at Smith Reynolds to 2027

Mark Davidson, airport director, briefed commissioners that Signature Flight Support agreed under its lease to design and construct a new aboveground fuel farm (minimum private investment $5 million) to replace aging underground tanks located within runway object-free areas. Davidson said the current deadline in the lease cannot be met and staff recommends amending the lease to extend the installation deadline to May 31, 2027.

Davidson described the proposed fuel-farm siting between North State Aviation and Piedmont Propulsion, which would allow fuel delivery trucks to operate on the landside and separate transport/refueler movements between landside and airside operations. He noted existing tanks nearby and said the new location was selected after consultation with the airport board and NCDOT environmental staff.

Davidson said the amendment would extend the deadline for Signature to complete site selection and construction; the lease requires Signature to invest at least $5,000,000. No final construction approval or board vote on the amendment was recorded in the briefing; staff asked commissioners to consider the amendment at the upcoming formal meeting.

Why it matters: The lease amendment would preserve the airport’s negotiated private investment schedule for a major safety- and compliance-related fuel infrastructure project while accommodating additional time needed for site selection and regulatory coordination.

Next steps: Staff will present the second lease amendment for formal action; the amendment would extend Signature’s deadline to May 31, 2027.