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Hangar OK'd for Delta flight school
 By
Jack Spillane, Standard-Times staff writer
NEW BEDFORD — The City Council set the city on the
runway to an improved airport last night, but chose not
to rev its engines too quickly.
The council's Finance Committee (a committee of the
entire council) approved $1.1 million in bonding
authority for a new hangar for the Delta flight school.
The committee, however, chose not to bond a second $1
million for a hangar for Cape Air or some other small
airline carrier that might be interested.
The council, sitting in formal session later in the
evening, also gave final approval to the deal.
Mayor Scott W. Lang had asked the council for $2 million
for both hangars, but said afterwards he was satisfied
with the compromise.
The vote followed a closed-door session at which
councilors discussed with City Treasurer Daniel W.
Patten and members of the New Bedford Airport Commission
negotiations with private carriers that might be
interested in leasing the hangars.
Councilors wanted concrete information about whether the
private parties had committed to leases that would
provide enough money to pay off the bonds. But James
Burgess, chairman of the airport commission, said it
would be inappropriate to discuss the details in public.
No councilor made a public statement about the pros or
cons of Mayor Lang's proposal, but Mr. Burgess, the
longtime chairman of the commission, hinted that the
city might lose the Delta Connection Academy (which is
affiliated with Bridgewater State College) if it did not
act.
"It's kind of detrimental if we don't move forward on
this," he said.
Mr. Burgess later told The Standard-Times that the Delta
school currently has 200-plus students and is looking to
expand. Airlines are increasingly relying on private
flight schools for their pilots, he said.
"I think it's terrific. Now the academy is going to be
able to expand," he said.
One person who didn't think it was terrific was Doris
Cunningham, the longtime owner of Colonial Air Inc. She
acknowledged to the paper that she was disappointed but
declined further comment.
The private airplane maintenance company had hoped to
build the hangar on city-owned land, but Mayor Lang
decided he wanted the city to build the facility itself.
The mayor has said the hangar will help the municipal
airport (which is currently operating at a loss) break
even. But Ward 1 Councilor Linda Morad has questioned
whether the city might be saddled with other costs down
the line associated with things such as maintenance.
The council vote was 8-2 with Councilors David Alves and
John T. Saunders voting against it after the second
million was jettisoned.
Councilor Jane Gonsalves, who was absent during the
vote, supported the one-hangar compromise in the final
vote.
Councilor Saunders told The Standard-Times he did not
think the numbers added up.
"It was a 10-year deal and I don't think they could pay
off the debt service," he said.
He was also concerned that the city does not yet have a
signed agreement with Delta, he said.
Mayor Lang said he was satisfied with the vote and that,
when the city works out a lease arrangement with Cape
Air (or some other airline), he will come back to the
council for the second hangar.
"I think it's a great economic development project
that's going to secure the Delta training school," he
said. "I appreciate the council's vote on this and we'll
move forward."
City officials released no numbers about the income
stream for the bond last night beyond $80,000 per year
the academy is currently paying to lease the former
plumber's building as a training center. But Mayor Lang
said he believes Delta has committed to enough revenue
to make the deal work.
"My understanding is the income stream can, in fact, pay
for the bond-plus," he said.
He said he is looking forward to discussions with
neighborhoods adjacent to the airport about how the
airport can more effectively function at its present
size.
Contact Jack Spillane at
jspillane@s-t.com
Date of Publication: December 12, 2006 on Page A05 |
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