"Engineers: Airport work needed to boost traffic"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Friday, February 22, 2008

Engineers: Airport work needed to boost traffic
PALMER: Final draft of the new master plan should be completed by July.
By T.C. MITCHELL
The Anchorage (AK) Daily News


PALMER -- While the city here has prosperity in mind for its airport,
history indicates it has a long climb toward that goal.

General aviation traffic, by far the heaviest use of the airport, has
declined by more than 9 percent from 2003 to 2006, and overall traffic went
down by nearly 8 percent, according to Dowl Engineers.

Mayor John Combs, at a meeting Tuesday with Dowl, the City Council and the
Palmer Airport Advisory Commission, asked why.

Dowl's John Jones, the lead engineer on a project to create an airport
master plan, offered a couple of reasons. For one, Palmer imposes a $75 tax
on aircraft kept at the airport.

That's not much, Jones acknowledged, but anecdotal information from pilots
in the area suggests it's enough to drive them to Wasilla, where no such tax
is imposed, he said.

Secondly, he said, those pilots surveyed said the city has been hard to work
with in the past, but he called that "an incorrect perception."

Add to that another pilot's perception: Palmer is a windy place.

The airport needs to build hangars or other shelters to protect planes from
the infamous gales that howl down from the nearby glaciers, said Jones and
fellow Dowl representative Steve Pavish.

Jones in his presentation noted several other concerns:

. Trees: While the city has done some work to clear trees or lower tree tops
around the airport for safety, more needs to be done to satisfy Federal
Aviation Administration requirements.

. Approaches: The FAA may add new instrument approach patterns to the
airport that incorporate updated technology for larger aircraft. Noise
complaints so far are few, Jones said, but the new plan will also address
noise. Also, he said, the city should consider acquiring adjacent property
for "elbow space" for growth and to keep residential encroachment at bay.

. Fence: The fence separating the golf course from the airport is 100 feet
too close.

. Apron: More apron space is needed if more pilots are expected to use the
airport. Right now, Dowl estimated, about 120 planes are based in Palmer.
The engineers think that could increase with more tie-downs and hangars.

. Leases: The current lease agreements need to be streamlined so when a
company decides to invest in the airport, the transaction can be done
quickly. 

That also means the airport should think about clearing some lots now, so
they can be available when firms come looking.

. Lounge: Pilots indicated they needed a place to make plans and rest
between stops. Many also indicated a need for a restaurant, but as Jones
said, "Everybody wants one, but nobody wants to run it."

. Helicopters: The airport needs a standard procedure for helicopter landing
and take-off patterns, parking and operation. 

Jones indicated six sailplanes operate from the airport and their needs need
to be addressed as well. A floatplane pond was mentioned, but that's an
unlikely project within the 20-year scope of the master plan.

Jones reiterated Thursday what he told the commission and the council, "This
is in the early stages. We're just trying to make sure we have the key
issues."

The final draft of the plan is due in July. Dowl intends by June to provide
a list of capital projects, suggestions and alternatives the city can look
at and plan to adopt, or not, over the next 20 years.

Jane Dale, who oversees airport operations, said Thursday morning the cost
to create a master plan is about $200,000; Palmer's share is 2.5 percent,
the state provided 2.5 percent with the FAA picked up the remaining 95
percent.

She said the former master plan was far out of date and this one gives the
city and the commission direction. 

"We can look at it and see where we're at in capital projects," she said.

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