Airpark advisory panel urges stronger governance, better noise tracking and community outreach

The Airpark Community Advisory Committee presented its unanimous 2025 annual report to a joint session of Montgomery County's Transportation and Environment and Economic Development committees on Sept. 15, urging clearer governance of the Montgomery County Airpark, improved noise-complaint systems and more robust community outreach.

ACAC Chair Skip Rheindoller, a longtime county resident and pilot, told the committee the panel's work produced evidence-based recommendations addressing maintenance, lease enforcement and operations. "This is just the tip of the iceberg," Rheindoller said, summarizing the panel's conclusion that the revenue authority has not consistently enforced the master lease and that facility problems (leaking hangars, flood damage, and unpermitted construction) have harmed tenants and residents.

The report calls for several immediate steps: developing a multi-language noise-complaint tracking system and publishing complaint summaries in English and Spanish; increasing transparency around the hangar waitlist and lease enforcement; improving the Fly Friendly noise-abatement outreach to pilots and flight schools; and studying a long-term economic-development plan for county-controlled property at the Airpark.

Keith Miller, chief executive of the Montgomery County Revenue Authority, acknowledged the issues and described legal and operational limits the MCRA faces under federal grant assurances. "We have to work within the terms of the lease agreement and with other government agencies," Miller said, noting the MCRA has received "well over $20,000,000 in grants from the FAA over the last 10 years" and that FAA grant programs prioritize safety projects.

MCRA and airport staff described several concrete follow-ups the authority will pursue. Justin Bohm, airport manager, said the MCRA has requested and received additional information from DC Metro Aviation Services after allegations about the hangar waitlist; he said the FAA has been engaged and that MCRA will continue to cooperate with federal reviews. Bohm also said the airport will move to publish complaint data on its website and evaluate language accessibility.

A recurring recommendation from the ACAC was to evaluate community support for an FAA-staffed control tower. MCRA staff estimated local construction costs of roughly $25 million to $30 million; the FAA would staff the tower if the site were admitted to the program. Councilmembers asked the ACAC to take the lead in gauging community support before pursuing federal grant processes.

Council chairs and members also endorsed a county-led review of a new homebuyer notification policy to ensure prospective buyers are aware of Airpark impacts. That change, council members said, is within the county's purview and could be advanced administratively and by ordinance.

The committees agreed to keep pursuing the ACAC's recommendations, seek improved reporting on complaint data and hangar assignments, and coordinate with federal representatives when escalation to the FAA is required. The joint session concluded with a request that MCRA and ACAC provide documentation of past challenges and of communications with the FAA to the committees for further review.