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Commission approves temporary parking use for Deep Pond Farm, pending FAA grant-assurance check
Summary
Owner George Ghazal asked to use airport land for seasonal overflow parking; the commission approved the request subject to verification of FAA/MassDOT grant-assurance constraints and scheduling details.
The Tarpon Municipal Airport Commission voted on Sept. 24 to allow seasonal overflow parking on airport-owned land for Deep Pond Farm events, contingent on staff confirming that the use would not violate FAA or MassDOT grant assurances.
George Ghazal, who identified himself as the owner of Deepont Farm and Stables, told commissioners the access path from Middleborough Avenue has been used for more than a century and that he has cleared trash and tires from the area. "It's been there for over a hundred years... It's on every deed," Ghazal said, describing the historic farm access and saying attendees could walk from the airport property to his lot without crossing third-party land.
Ghazal offered to staff the lot with parking attendants, illuminate the area and repair any damage after events. Commission members said the plan would help reduce parking on neighborhood streets on busy days and thanked him for cleanup work on the parcel.
Caveat: Commissioners asked staff to check whether allowing temporary parking would conflict with federal grant assurances tied to previous FAA awards. One commissioner specifically requested that airport staff verify whether the use would affect grant conditions before the permission is finalized.
Outcome: The commission approved the temporary parking use "pending any problems with the grant assurances," and asked Ghazal to provide proposed dates to the airport manager so staff could prepare the area and coordinate event-day operations.
Next steps: Staff will verify grant-assurance constraints with FAA/MassDOT and return to the commission if any restriction is identified; Ghazal and staff will coordinate dates and site-mowing prior to events.
