Montgomery, Ala., Regional Airport Poised to Pass Parking Plan
By Cosby Woodruff, Montgomery Advertiser, Ala.
Jun. 24–Montgomery Regional Airport’s months-long debate over how its parking lot should be redesigned could end tonight when the airport authority votes on a plan that drew no opposition Monday at a committee meeting.
The plan — at least the fourth offered by airport consultants Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon — moves the rental car parking area outside the airport loop road. Montgomery Aviation’s ramp and an old hangar now occupy part of the site.
The airport would pay to move the building for Montgomery Aviation and would allow the company to use additional space at a nearby location.
The plan would solve a number of traffic issues at the airport while creating what planners called lesser issues. Rental car traffic would no longer pass directly in front of the terminal, and the rental car companies would remain close to the terminal.
The airport also would get additional short-term parking spaces.
Allen Thames, a planner with BWSC, said rental cars would have to turn left across traffic exiting the airport to get to the rental car lot, but he said that is a minor price to pay for getting the cars away from the terminal.
Thames gave the committee a $4.83 million budget for the project, just under the $5 million the airport has in grants and local matches to spend.
He said the airport could complete preliminary design work in about nine months, and if the authority approves the plan at today’s meeting, the new parking lot could open by Jan. 1, 2010.
Robert Gould was the only committee member at Monday’s meeting, but he endorsed the plan.
“None of the rental companies had a problem with it,” he said. “I think it is good.”
Previous plans recommended by the committee failed before the full board because of concerns — both from board members and rental car companies — over the rental car parking location.
The airport’s general aviation committee also met Monday. It sent a proposal for a new FBO — a fixed base of operations business that services private aircraft with fuel, maintenance, hangars, charters and other flight services — to the full board with no recommendation.
Jay Taffet proposed opening a Regency Air Center FBO near Montgomery Aviation, the airport’s current FBO provider.
Bill Hudgens, who operates Montgomery Aviation, said he is concerned about the location, which is closer to the main runway than Montgomery Aviation.
“I am concerned related to the competitive disadvantage it would put us in,” he said. “Everybody would have to come past you to get to me.”
Airport officials said that is not the case.
Phil Perry, the airport’s executive director, said planes approaching from three of four possible directions would pass Montgomery Aviation on the way to Regency if the board approves Taffet’s plan.
Hudgens also said he worried about the competition, but committee members Gould and Jimmy Reynolds said they couldn’t deny the request just to protect Montgomery Aviation.
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