Home, Hangar Could Be Constructed Near Edge of Lewiston Airport

Dec. 24—The president and owner of M.A. DeAtley Construction in Clarkston is seeking permission to build a hangar on the boundary of the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport as part of a plan to have his home steps away from where he keeps his aircraft.

Mark DeAtley and his wife, Melissa DeAtley, have purchased private land on the west side of Fifth Street and Cedar Avenue adjacent to the airport where they want to construct a house.

They are asking the airport to acquire a part of the lot where they hope to build a hangar in exchange for a 25-year lease at no cost, Mark DeAtley said at an airport board meeting earlier this week.

The hangar would be part of the airport's fence. Planes would have access to the airport's taxiways through an opening in the hangar inside the secure perimeter of the airport.

It would also have an upper mezzanine for cars as well as a garage door and a door for people on the side of the building outside the airport's fence.

A security system would limit access to the hangar to those with clearances to be inside the airport's grounds regardless of what entrance they were using, he said.

The new hangar, DeAtley said, would extend a relationship with the airport that he has had all of his adult life as a tenant with a hangar through himself or his businesses.

"The airport has been integral for us to be able to manage our business outside the valley," he said. "We do business all over the Northwest."

One of the next steps, board members said, is making sure the plans meet all of the requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration.

Airport director Michael Isaacs, Board Chairman Gary Peters and board member Joe Gish, all noted the airport has other hangars set up in a manner similar to what DeAtley is proposing.

DeAtley's hangar would create an attractive facility at the edge of the airport, Peters said.

"I think I speak on behalf of the board," Peters said. "We want this to happen too. I don't see any roadblocks. I would love to accommodate you to have another facility, another large hangar on the airport. It's more property tax to the city of Lewiston and (the) county. It's just a matter of getting (the FAA's and TSA's) blessing."

Gish also indicated he favors DeAtley's project.

"Personally I think development is good," he said. "I think we're increasing the capacity of the number of airplanes that can be hangared on the airport. Eventually it will lead to more traffic on the airport. More take offs and landings."

Williams may be contacted at [email protected] or (208) 848-2261.

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