Rangeley airport commission directs Stantec to design hangar development, keeps 10‑pack option open

The Rangeley Airport Commission voted to direct Stantec to begin preliminary design and permitting for a proposed hangar development, including an option for a 10‑unit T‑hangar configuration, and asked staff to advance surveys and geotechnical work.

The motion was made by the commissioner speaking as president of the Rangeley Pilots Association (speaker 6) and seconded by a commission member (speaker 2); the vote carried in favor. The move clears the way for design, survey and permit work that town staff and the presenter (an agency official, speaker 3) said is needed to apply for FAA funding and state permits.

Why it matters: the design step lets the town and FAA scope and phase taxi‑lane work tied to the hangar layout. FAA rules on object‑free areas and pavement offsets constrain how close hangars can be to taxiways; those constraints determine whether a 10‑unit T‑hangar or smaller conventional hangars are feasible on the available parcels.

The agency official (speaker 3) told the commission the design would be prepared as a single package but bid in pieces so at least Taxi Lane 1 could be constructed first if federal funds are approved. "We would design the whole thing, but then break it up into chunks, so to get bid prices up and say, okay, you know, we wanna get at least the number 1 done," the official said, explaining the phased approach to match uncertain funding and market prices.

Commission discussion focused on setbacks and what the FAA will fund. Speaker 3 cited FAA advisory‑circular minimums and an ADG‑1 object‑free area that drives an offset of roughly 32–40 feet from taxiway centerlines to fixed objects; other members recalled earlier references to a 15‑foot figure but agreed the current working clearance is nearer 30–40 feet. One commissioner pressed whether moving the taxi lane centerline could recover buildable area; the presenter said shifting the taxi lane would shift the hangar offsets correspondingly and only gain a few feet in select places.

The group discussed timing and next steps. The presenter asked for a decision to start design now to allow surveyors and geotechnical work before the winter construction season; he also noted that certain environmental permits must be secured (DEP) and that the FAA expects permits to be in hand by the end of the year before construction. A commission member suggested the developer (referred to as Ed in the meeting) decide whether to build a conventional hangar or the 10‑pack by the July 27 commission meeting; the presenter said he could proceed either way and recommended starting work now so permitting and bids can proceed next spring.

The commission’s authorization is procedural: it directs Stantec to prepare preliminary design documents, survey and permitting materials and to coordinate with FAA and DEP. It does not obligate the town to construct taxi lanes or to purchase hangars; those actions and any grant applications will require further approvals.

Next steps: staff will schedule survey and geotechnical work, advance a preliminary design package, and return to the full commission with refined options and cost estimates at the next meeting.