Consultant outlines Rangeley Airport master-plan update and obstruction analysis

Consultant engineer Dave Neto told the Rangeley Airport Committee the planned 2028 Airport Master Plan update will take a holistic, landside view of the field and its approaches, aiming to reconcile conflicting drawings and identify obstructions that could require easements and tree removal.

"The intent is really to kinda look at more long term kind of from a from a a land side," Neto said, describing the update as a chance to re-evaluate hangar development, taxiways and safety around approaches after the runway extension. He said the update will include an obstruction analysis and may identify navigation easements that would allow FAA-funded removals.

The committee heard that a full master-plan update typically takes about a year and involves public informational meetings and advisory groups. "The the master plans don't expire," Neto added, explaining the practical distinction between a master plan and the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) drawings that the FAA reviews for funding eligibility.

Neto said the town can pursue a pen-and-ink change to the ALP — a smaller drawing update — to show revised hangar and taxi-lane layouts to the FAA, rather than waiting for a full master-plan rewrite, provided the work remains within the scope of hangar development rather than larger structural changes.

The moderator (speaker 2) and committee members asked Neto to circulate revised drawings and a PDF of the proposed layouts so the committee and the public can review the recommended changes before the town seeks FAA approval or moves design work into the next CIP cycle.