RANGELEY – A public hearing on Dec. 19 will present residents with information regarding the proposed extension to the Stephen A. Bean Municipal Airfield. The hearing will be held at 6 p.m. at Rangeley Lakes Regional School and will address the question: “Do you favor the runway extension for Life flight at Stephen A. Bean Airport as proposed by the engineering firm?” which will appear on the Jan. 9 ballot.
The proposal was created after airport management noted that nearly half of the times LifeFlight needed to land, they were unable to due to either poor weather conditions or the current layout of the runway.
“The majority of the time it was due to weather,” airport manager Rebekah Carmichael said.
According to Carmichael, extending the runway would provide nearly uninterrupted access for Medivac access to Rangeley and would stimulate the local economic activity.
“It has been proven in places like Newport State Airport and Jay Peak Resort or Morrisville-Stowe State Airport and Stowe Mountain Lodge,” she said.
The cost of the proposed project is estimated at $10 million, 95 percent of which would be paid for by state and federal grant funds. The town would be responsible for the remaining five percent, or $500,000, some of which could be paid for with in kind material such as gravel for runway construction.
The runway design has been created by DuBois and King engineering using LifeFlights KingAir 200 – a twin engine aircraft that is designed to be able to land during icy conditions unlike the current LifeFlight helicopters used at the airport.
Airport management along with the town have held several informational meetings for the public with the hopes of hearing concerns and fielding questions. When a question was raised as to the increase in noise if the proposed project were to be approved, Carmichael said a noise study was then conducted. The results showed that while there would be a small increase in noise, it would not go beyond the decibel threshold of the airport’s boundaries.
