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Carrabassett Valley Select Board weighs minimal fixes to meet FAA deadline for $3.5M runway grant
Summary
Select Board members on June 8 discussed options to satisfy a revised FAA approach-path standard tied to a $3.5 million runway grant, favoring minimal changes such as signage and a shift to Visual Flight Rules while staff drafts a letter to the FAA due at the end of June.
The Carrabassett Valley Select Board on June 8 was briefed on new Federal Aviation Administration requirements that have expanded the approach flight path for the town airport and identified obstructions the town must address to secure $3.5 million in discretionary runway reconstruction funding. Town Manager Garrett Corbin, Airport Manager Tom Wallace and consultant Suzy Sheppard presented the changes and potential responses.
Wallace said the town has four years after grant approval to complete corrections. To limit the expanded flight path, staff recommended eliminating the GPS instrument approach and relying on Visual Flight Rules (VFR), a change Wallace said aligns with local terrain and existing pilot behavior when ceilings are low. The revised FAA criteria also flagged trees and other obstructions at both runway ends.
Consultant Suzy Sheppard and staff proposed moving Old Huse Mill Road signage and adding two stop signs at either side of the runway; a recommended gate on the opposite side drew board concern. Resident Tom Cromwell told the board signage installed near Munzer Bridge last year reduced parking and traffic by an estimated 95 percent, and board members signaled a preference to emphasize signage when presenting solutions to the FAA.
For obstructions identified on the south end, staff discussed trimming or removing trees and adding lighting on buildings; Sheppard said 'flaring' the runway could create more problems than it would solve. Wallace emphasized that before removing trees the town would need to contact abutting landowners.
The airport application is already with the FAA, but Wallace said final approval will not occur until the town submits a letter describing how it will address the named obstructions. That letter is due at the end of June; Corbin and Wallace will share a final draft with the Select Board before submitting. Chair Bob Luce said the board is inclined to propose solutions that entail minimal changes and then await the FAA's response.
