Pittsfield Council OKs Million-Dollar Borrowing for Airport Taxi LaneBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:37PM / Sunday, February 02, 2025 | |
 Airport Manager Daniel Shearer explains to the City Council the need for a taxi lane and how it will be funded. |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Municipal Airport will build a new taxi lane with help from federal, state, and local funds.
On Tuesday, the City Council approved a $1,040,000 borrowing for a paved way that enables access to additional developable land. Because the local share is only 2.5 percent, or $26,000, Rule 27 was waived.
A taxi lane is a path that connects aircraft parking areas to taxiways. Airport Manager Daniel Shearer said it will "substantially" open up a new area that is yet to be developed, providing access to a new hangar.
"This is the taxi lane for the development area that we've been working towards and signed a lease for. We had intended to start this a couple of months ago, the federal fiscal year put us a little behind on that so we're trying to get that work underway so we can pave as soon as the asphalt plant opens up in the spring,"
"This will line up with the completion of the first hangar in that area and will provide access to that space."
He added that ground lease revenue will come in as soon as the lane is finished.
Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey pointed out that the current hangar has a dirt floor.
The first lease to construct a new hangar on this land was approved by the Airport Commission and council in 2023. Last year, the council authorized borrowing for the engineering services portion of this project.
This borrowing covers the construction phase and will be funded 95 percent by the Federal Aviation Administration ($988,000,) and 2.5 percent from both the state and city.
"Construction of this taxi lane will be funded principally through grant funds from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Massachusetts Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division (MassDOT,)" Shearer wrote to the council.
"In this case, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) program. These funds have been awarded to the Airport and allocated to this project through the Airport Capital Improvement Planning (ACIP) process with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Massachusetts Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division (MassDOT Aeronautics)."
The bid for the project comes to $906,960 and combined with engineering services and administrative costs, the grant for the construction phase totals $1,040,000.
"Due to the type of grant, application deadlines, and construction schedules, it is necessary that the project be funded locally through a borrowing authorization before the grant is awarded; however, once awarded the city will only be responsible for its 2 1/2 percent local share," Shearer clarified.
Last year, the Airport Commission approved a new logo with a cleaner design that depicts a jet flying over a green mountainscape. It is a far cry from the former branding, which had more than 10 saturated colors.
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