Mar. 2--MACHIAS -- Just when the public is getting used to the idea of a new regional airport eventually getting built along U.S. Route 1 near the Downeast Fairgrounds, state planners and consultants are saying: Not so fast.
The site is still prime on the list of six locations that have been flagged as potential sites to replace the aging Machias Valley Airport. But so is a second site, also west of Machias, that also is being considered.
Both sites are in Jonesboro -- the "Fairgrounds" site on Route 1 and the so-called "Barrows" site along Route 1A, just below the Whitneyville town line. The Barrows site is across from the state's forestry garage.
Area selectmen, members of the airport's public advisory committee and even representatives of U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud and the state's two U.S. senators were updated Wednesday on the latest developments in planning for the airport.
"We had to step back and do some alternative site analysis," said Bill Richardson, the airport's project manager from the Boston firm, Edwards and Kelcey Inc.
"At this point we are moving forward on both sites."
Environmental analyses -- the next step -- of the two sites should lead to a draft report in June that will zero in on one site over the other. The Fairgrounds site had been chosen as the best location for the airport until preliminary work revealed it covered more than 100 acres of wetlands.
With a reconfiguration of the planned 5,000-foot runway, the Fairgrounds site would now involve just 48 acres of wetlands. The Barrows site has 31 acres of wetlands. Airport planners would build in "mitigating measures" in seeking FAA approval for the project.
The airport -- to be called the Downeast Regional Airport -- is on the Federal Aviation Agency's radar as a "relocated" airport rather than as a new airport. That means that the millions in federal funding needed to build a general aviation airport could be forthcoming in phases sooner rather than later.
The current airport has just a 2,900-foot runway and serves mostly weekend hobbyist pilots. The new airport would boost economic development for Washington County by serving the business community, Down East Community Hospital and the University of Maine at Machias, among other interests.
The project so far has been about four years in the planning. Officials involve hope that the airport could be fast-tracked for building within five to seven years, rather than the 10 or 11 years presented by a traditional timeline for such airports.
Project planners expect to release a final environmental analysis for the chosen site by August and provide an FAA requisite, a "finding of no significant impact" statement by September.
That would lead to the FAA's release of partial funding for first steps such as design and land acquisition to move forward.
About 97 percent of the airport's $10 million to $12 million cost would be covered by state and federal sources.
Machias would be the "sponsor" of the new airport, because the current Machias Valley Airport is located in town, and as such would be responsible for putting in about $300,000 toward the project.
Several area towns will share in the local planning for the new airport.
"There are so many restrictions at the Machias airport now," said Christine Therrien, the Machias town manager and also the airport manager. "We're not going to get where we need to be, economically, with the existing site.
"Once we have the new airport, we will see new companies and businesses wanting to locate here."
