Birchwood as a Muni?

[stewartb]

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anch...rom-the-state/

[Crash, Jr.]

Judging by how poorly Anchorage manages Merrill field I am very, very against Birchwood going the same way.

[stewartb]

Eklutna Corp would have moved the airport forward. Anchorage will F—k it up.

[md11freighter]

All of the sudden owning a hangar in Palmer doesn't seem that bad

[Brian M]

Judging by how poorly Anchorage manages Merrill field I am very, very against Birchwood going the same way.

What is it that the Muni does poorly at Merrill? I've been based in Birchwood for 20 years, and honestly don't know how things are run in Anchorage.

[wireweinie]

All of the sudden owning a hangar in Palmer doesn't seem that bad

With Frank gone, things are looking up.

Web

[cubflier]

With Frank gone, things are looking up.

Web

Jane made all that came after her seem great!

Jerry

[wireweinie]

Except for Frank.

Web

[CompSciAndFly]

What is it that the Muni does poorly at Merrill? I've been based in Birchwood for 20 years, and honestly don't know how things are run in Anchorage.

I've only had my plane at Merrill for the last 4 months, but I've been flying out of Merrill field for the last 5 years. I haven't had any complaints so far about the management there. Although, I imagine there will probably be an eventual rate hike at Birchwood for tie-down spots.

[Crash, Jr.]

What is it that the Muni does poorly at Merrill? I've been based in Birchwood for 20 years, and honestly don't know how things are run in Anchorage.

The long and short of it is the Merrill airport management isn't very helpful to the land lease holders and continues to incur costs for poorly managed projects like the road surface tamping/resurfacing project that went way over budget and passing those costs on to the lease holders. The net effect isn't felt by anyone renting a tie down but the costs are so high that only larger/more profitable businesses can be sustained at Merrill. If Birchwood goes the same way it's going to drive the small mechanics out of business and create a more commercial oriented Birchwood airport. Plus I'm sure Anchorage would want to bring Birchwood airport up to the DOT standards which would include a massive (costly) overhaul of the runway arrangement, a more dangerous two sided traffic pattern, and potentially even a tower. Not a big fan of turning Birchwood into Merrill field.

[Scooter7779h]

Judging by how poorly Anchorage manages Merrill field I am very, very against Birchwood going the same way.

I’ve had an airplane based at Merrill Field since 1973, and owned a hangar there since 2012. I’d have to disagree that it’s poorly managed. There is a check and balance of the Merrill Field User Group and the Municipal Airport Aviation Advisory Commission that both meet quarterly and if you have a gripe, bring it forward. I was on the MAAAC for 13 years and got a ski/gravel strip and a bunch of other user desired things including big discounts to leaseholders with CARES Act money. Airport Managers and Mayors come and go, and yes sometimes people gripe, but overall it’s better than DOT managing Birchwood where there’s little connection to the Airport Management and the users IMHO. Governors come and go too, and the State legislators have little interest in airports, but could strike it from the budget with a stroke of a pen, or decide its a revenue opportunity. I think local government a better overseer of operations. For example Palmer and Kenai are managed by local government and seem to be very well connected to the users. @CrashJr what’s your beef with MOA management of Merrill? Have you brought it forward to the user group or MAAAC meetings? YMMV


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Scooter7779h]

The long and short of it is the Merrill airport management isn't very helpful to the land lease holders and continues to incur costs for poorly managed projects like the road surface tamping/resurfacing project that went way over budget and passing those costs on to the lease holders. The net effect isn't felt by anyone renting a tie down but the costs are so high that only larger/more profitable businesses can be sustained at Merrill. If Birchwood goes the same way it's going to drive the small mechanics out of business and create a more commercial oriented Birchwood airport. Plus I'm sure Anchorage would want to bring Birchwood airport up to the DOT standards which would include a massive (costly) overhaul of the runway arrangement, a more dangerous two sided traffic pattern, and potentially even a tower. Not a big fan of turning Birchwood into Merrill field.

That’s not true Gabe. Leasehold fees have been reduced for 3 years due to my and others petition to reduce leasehold fees from the CARES Act relief. For the last 10 years the leasehold rates have increase less than 2%. Where do you get your facts, I am president of our leasehold and pay the bills.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk