OWLS HEAD — The Knox County Regional Airport is updating its 2000 Airport Master Plan as required by the Federal Aviation Administration, a process overseen by the Public Relations/ Environment Subcommittee of the Airport‘s Public Advisory Committee. On Jan. 14, those involved with the update will meet at 4 p.m. at the Owls Head Transportation Museum for a progress report; all meetings are open to the public.

The Public Relations subcommittee first met in September with Stantec, the engineering firm that has helped the airport with various projects, including design of a new terminal, taxiway and environmental studies. Stantec is responsible for presenting a comprehensive schedule of tasks that satisfy FAA requirements.  Along with subcommittee input, Stantec is to integrate realistic airport needs with its community and environment, according to a news release.

The Public Relations Subcommittee is responsible for providing public meetings and information and representing community voices as the update continues. It is scheduling two large public meetings, currently planned for October and February 2014.  All meetings are open to the public and will be posted on the county airport website.

The City of Rockland turned the airport over to the county on Dec. 4, 1968, according to a brief history of the airport, and was renamed the Knox County Regional Airport.

"Since then, the airport has been developed, runways were expanded, the instrument landing system known as the ILS (allows aircraft to land in inclement weather) was installed and a new environmentally friendly terminal was constructed," the airport said. "The airport properties have been upgraded and maintained, primarily, with grant money from a federal aviation fund created from user fees and aviation fuel taxes. Maine contributes funds to capital improvement projects from transportation bonds and state taxes on aviation fuel. Although Knox County taxpayers have traditionally subsidized the airport operations, most of the local share of the capital improvements have been sourced from airport user fees and donations."

The update will focus on additional T-hangars and conventional hangars, as well as future design criteria. The master plan is to include green initiatives to achieve sustainable development principles as appropriate for the proposed projects. The study is be prepared in conformance with all relevant FAA design standards.

The Subcommittee is dedicated, it said in its new release, to following guidelines of the airport mission statement: “to provide the safest and most reliable air transportation services and facilities for the residents, businesses, and visitors of the greater Knox County and Penobscot Bay region and the island communities.”

The airport's Public Advisory Committee represents all Knox County voting districts, local and airport businesses, the flying club, neighbors and the environment, while is subcommittee represents a wide range of the community.  Initiailly, questions and comments for subcommittee representatives should be sent through the Knox County website or via Airport Manager Jeff Northgraves.

Chairman of the subcommittee is Kathy Allain, retired chair of APAC and a resident of Owls Head.  She serves on the board of the University of Maine‘s Women in Leadership and Philanthropy that provides grants for student/ professor research projects.

Other subcommittee members include:

Bill Jones, a Hope Christmas tree and blueberry farmer and APAC’s environmental representative. During his career at the World Bank he pioneered quantification of environmental costs and benefits of rural development projects.  At the Economic Development Institute he applied these to actual loans, mainly of irrigation projects in India. He has been an editor (Development Digest) and a professor (Oberlin College). Jones is familiar with the airport’s finances as the Warren-Hope representative on the County Budget Committee. He is a member of the George’s River and Coastal Mountain Land Trusts.

Greg Peet, a resident of South Thomaston on Ballyhac Cove and therefore the closest neighbor to the airport. As a realtor since 1985, Greg says, “I understand the significant role the airport has in the health of our local real estate market and in making Knox County a desirable place to live and visit.”  

Charlie Siletti, a past member of APAC with an engineering degree from the University of Maine, Orono, and served in the U.S. Army as a construction officer in Alaska.  Siletti has managed projects and facilities in mining, raw materials and power industries throughout the world and has had an extended period of employment with Marine Colloids and FMC in Rockland and Philadelphia and as a consulting engineer.  Today he is retired and serves as Co-Chair of the Owls Head Comprehensive Plan Upgrade.  Siletti says that serving on both upgrade committees simultaneously “stems from the airport’s potential to impact the Town of Owls Head in environment, safety and economic areas.”

Bill Maddox, a local lawyer licensed to practice before the United States Supreme Court where he has filed several cases. He was on law reviews at a top 20 law school, publishing an article on international law and sovereignty. He has a Master’s degree in American History and was a triple major at Colby College.   Maddox has been to airports on five continents and visited more than 44 countries mostly by air.  “As a youth I was in Civil Air Patrol with my father and younger brother, “says Maddox. “When we moved to Maine my father was extensively involved in Civil Air Patrol search and rescue missions.”  Maddox represents the Business Community for APAC and chaired the 2009 Business Plan and Terminal Project. He is a past director of the Chamber of Commerce and current member.

Marjorie Stratton, town manager on Vinalhaven for 10 years and is the first island voice for APAC.  She states that “The Knox County Airport is a vital piece of our connection to the mainland.” Penobscot Island Air delivers mail, does medical evacuations, and brings worker to and from eight islands. “We would be lost without that air service,” says Stratton who volunteered to work on the Update to learn more about airport operations and represent the islands.

Chuck Hartman, a retired systems engineer employed by the Air Force for 35 years.   A  South Thomaston resident and past member of APAC, Hartman has been involved with airport operations for many years, implementing the airport 24 hour hotline for citizen complaints, the APAC noise abatement study and noise measurement stations, as well as voluntary flight curfews.   In 2005 he participated in the APAC Bylaw changes and was a member of the advisory committee for the 1999 Airport Master Plan, now being updated.   

The subcommittee's goal is to make the Airport Master Plan Update process as transparent and open as possible.  The scope of this Update was specifically modified, with FAA approval, to emphasize green/environmental opportunities and improvements to enhance airport safety, the news release said.