UPDATE:
Town Hall Meeting.
Date: Monday January 8, 2018
Where: Kiawanda Community Center
34701 Cape Kiwanda Dr
Pacific City, Oregon
Host: Sen. Arnis Roblan Rep. David Gomberg
Tillamook County Commissioners will attend.
Subject: Selling the airport and issues that impact the region. Parks and roads.
Panel members: Oregon Department of Aviation, Oregon Parks and Recreation, and ODOT.
Why you might want to attend: Learn why the ODA has decided to sell the airport. What will happen if the airport is sold to a private individual? What are possible options for ownership and management?




I know there are a few dozen of you here that visit Pacific City. The state for years has wanted to divest its self of what they see as a non profitable, dangerous, liability. We stopped them from closing it 5 years ago.

Now there is a new plan to transfer ownership to a private party. Pacific City is special because of its location to the ocean (1000') 7 restaurants with in 1 mile, 2 bars and a brew pub. It is rare to have these combinations. Remember Meigs Field!

I am a little ticked off that the process of this proposed transfer has been done in executive session which is secretive. If you care about what is up, and what is going to happen, here is the big public roll out on what the state has been up to.

OPA President Neal White is already on this issue, and has arranged for Mr. Mitch Swecker to address the Board at this coming Saturday’s November 18, 2017 10:00 am OPA Board Meeting at Konect Aviation, on the McMinnville Airport. MY understanding from Neal is the OPA Board will proceed through its “Normal” agenda of business, and when that is finished Mr. Swecker will make his presentation. Neal thinks the approximate timing for this will be around 11:00.

please feel free to attend if you love Pacific City.

Cheers...Rob









july ayg oct

I swear on a stack of Bibles that Pacific City Airport is absolutely the most iconic in the State! I love that place!!

Hope they conserve what they have! It's a thing of beauty.

BTW thanks for picking me up last month and helping me depart. You are a fine man. Call me in January when you get to Hawaii.

Seriously love that place! Please keep us updated!!
Thanks- Dave

"Transfer ownership to a private party"?
Doesn't sound good.
My understanding is that when the government agency sells something like this, they must receive "fair market value" for it.
The exception is when it's another government agency-- for example,
in 1999 Washington State transferred ownership of Quillayute Airport to the city of Forks.

I'm curious who will be buying the airport, what the FMV is, and how that was determined?
Also if it was put out as a Reguest for Proposals?

Wasn't there some talk a few years ago about Pacific City maybe taking the airport over?

I just checked out the State of Oregon DEpt of Aviation website.
Saw nothing at all about any proposed sale /transfer of Pacific Cioty airport.
I did check out the PC airport page http://www.oregon.gov/aviation/Pages/Pacific-City.aspx nothing there about it.
Is there any official announcement or file that we can reference if we want to write Oregon Aviation in opposition to the transfer / sale?

hotrod180 wrote:"Transfer ownership to a private party"?
Doesn't sound good.
My understanding is that when the government agency sells something like this, they must receive "fair market value" for it.
The exception is when it's another government agency-- for example,
in 1999 Washington State transferred ownership of Quillayute Airport to the city of Forks.

I'm curious who will be buying the airport, what the FMV is, and how that was determined?
Also if it was put out as a Reguest for Proposals?

Wasn't there some talk a few years ago about Pacific City maybe taking the airport over?

I worked for government for 30 years. Generally private does a better job IMO. Part of the deal is if the private owner ceases to use as an airport it has to go back to the state. The original deeds say, if the state doesn't use it as an airport the land goes back to the 5 familes who donated the land. That being said, I do believe the state will never stop trying to divest its self of it. To be honest, the state must want to keep it because of public pressure. If not they would just give it back to the families????

My guess is Kurt (rumored new owner) is going to rely somewhat on the recreational liability protection. This has the potential to be a really good thing. BUT the state needs to know we pilots will not take closing PC lying down. Because the private owner can only sell it back to the state a selling price is probably irrelevant.

The state could not transfer to Pacific City as PC is NOT an incorporated City. Tillamook County, Maybe. The county is broke thanks to greenies pinching logging. So I don't see Tillamook wanting it.

Rumor has it the new owner is Kurt Bruun of Lorentz Bruun construction. Good news is Kurt flies his plane in and out and has a home on the airport.

The potential is there for it to be a better situation. The Stark family for instance owns one of the most vibrant and active small airports in the state of Oregon, and it is public use.

Hate to lose such an iconic airport.

Let us know what we as pilots can do to make sure this stays an active public airport.

TD

hotrod180 wrote:I just checked out the State of Oregon DEpt of Aviation website.
Saw nothing at all about any proposed sale /transfer of Pacific Cioty airport.
I did check out the PC airport page http://www.oregon.gov/aviation/Pages/Pacific-City.aspx nothing there about it.
Is there any official announcement or file that we can reference if we want to write Oregon Aviation in opposition to the transfer / sale?

That is what is so wrong with what the state is doing. All very secret till tomorrow. I hear tell the talks have been on going for over a year.

Sale price is relevant... you need to ensure the state's not gonna give it away at a ridiculously low price.
(But knowing government agencies, it'll probably tend toward the other direction though.)

It might indeed be a much better thing for everyone if it was privately owned.
Zane presents a great example of Stark's being a vibrant & active privately owned airport.
Another one is Harvey Field in Snohomish WA.
But keep in mind the owner of a private airport can do whatever he wants with it.
"New tie-down fee is $100 a night", "no mogas self-fueling", "flight ops limited to 9am-5pm", whatever.
I agree about secret backroom deals or even just discussions going on.
IMHO anything in the works like this needs to be 110% transparent & open.

I certainly hope the best outcome Rob, et al. I can't see a developer doing much good. Sorry. It's a natural gem that should not be disturbed from it's original intent. I hope your government will preserve it. Strictly opinion, I have no idea or information regarding the direction.

Summer 2016 x-country observation:
Catalina Is., which is private, turned into a ghetto after the owner (who was my math teacher. I know...why is a billionaire teaching 8th grade math? Because he can, his wife was my Spanish teacher too) passed away and the place became neglected under new guidance. It will never be the same. I don't do ghetto airports. But, the rest of the Channel Islands have several seaplane areas. Torrance (KTOA) on the mainland side is still a great experience.

Silly little vid:
Picture of Pacific City Airport during my migration from Alaska. I always think..."There's Rob's house, lucky guy!", when crossing over.

I live about 230 miles north of Pacific City and I've never flown in there (yet),
but it sounds like a great little destination and I'd hate to see the airport go away or get ruined before I get a chance to do so.
I posted about this on the pacificnorthwestflying.com website, hopefully it'll raise a few people's awareness to the situation.
Anybody here part of the FAT-PNW facebook group?
You might want to post about the PC situation there also.
Rob, if you get me some email addresses for the people responsible for making airport decisions,
I'd be glad to write them (as I'm sure others here would also) if you think it would do any good.

hotrod180 wrote:I live about 230 miles north of Pacific City and I've never flown in there (yet),
but it sounds like a great little destination and I'd hate to see the airport go away or get ruined before I get a chance to do so.
I posted about this on the pacificnorthwestflying.com website, hopefully it'll raise a few people's awareness to the situation.
Anybody here part of the FAT-PNW facebook group?
You might want to post about the PC situation there also.
Rob, if you get me some email addresses for the people responsible for making airport decisions,
I'd be glad to write them (as I'm sure others here would also) if you think it would do any good.

Hey Eric. I am on FATPNW facebook. I am not so sure a new owner is a bad thing? Time will tell.

Cheers...Rob

Maybe yes, maybe no.
Hard to tell until it happens, then it's maybe too late.
The old expression "better the devil you know" might apply.

A private airport near here, Oak Harbor KOKH, was owned by a small airline which went broke.
Airport was in receivership for several years--
a bank paid the bills and some local pilots mowed the grass.

After a while two lien holders surfaced.
They had a legal pissing match for a while,
eventually the one with the stronger lien became the airport owner.

He has raised the hangar rent several times, .
He pays someone to mow the grass down occasionally, and has replaced a windsock or two,
but otherwise I don't see where he's done much to improve things.
At least the airport is still in operation, but that's about it.

Rob & my husband John are loyal volunteers who mow the airport grass, kill weeds, pick up flood debris, clean toilets and help keep the airport safe. A couple of other local families have been watching over the airstrip for decades. ODA never even bothered to tell local stakeholders of the level of concern that would necessitate sale. There's been no attempt to mitigate risk with the help of stakeholders. No attempt to line up a replacement local govt to keep the airport as "public" in perpetuity. This could be the County, a Port, etc. We've met the potential buyer who seems like a nice man. He said he offered to buy the airport about 4-5 years to keep it open, when ODA was talking about closing it. He had no idea that volunteers are the people doing most of the work to maintain it. I'm advocating for the creation of a work group to fully analyze the airport for risks, ability to mitigate risk, best option for ownership and management, etc.(Public, private, public/private partnership, consortium, etc.) Public meetings should be held during the work group research and analysis. This airport is more than a piece of dirt and it deserves to treated with respect. 22 people and a County donated the land for it, with the intention of it being a permanent public asset. Please attend the Jan. 8th meeting in Pacific City or send an email to Sen. Arnie Roblan to share your thoughts!

Went to the meeting on selling KPFC Pacific City airport.

There was one guy who said “crazy pilots flying 10’ over my house, I want the airport closed. I have met with the FAA and they won’t do anything “

Thankfully when airport haters are so extreme they are not taken seriously.

75% of the attendees want it to remain open and run by the state. That message was sent loud and clear. 50% attendees were pilots.



The 1st plane to land at Pacific City. I think it was 192? I think it is a Curtis JN-?

I'm sure there were no decisions made at this meeting,
but what was the state people's reaction?
Did it sound like a sale of the airport is a done deal no matter what?
Lots of times these sort of meetings seem like lip service to reassure people that their input matters,
while the decision is as good as made already.

I've been flying to Pacific City for years. That and Flying M are favorites.
It would be appalling if it closes/transfers to someone who will close it.
TL

OregonMaule wrote:.... I am not so sure a new owner is a bad thing? Time will tell.

There's a little private strip near me, Whidbey Airpark W10.
It was purchased a number of years ago from the airstrip builder by a consortium of people who lived on / adjacent to the airport.
Recently sold again, to a couple who live on / adjacent to the airport.
At the time of the first sale, a monthly user's fee was initiated.
Don't know what it was then, but now it's $100 a month.
This is in addition to your hangar rent, at least if if you rent one of the 10 or so non-airport-owned .hangars.
I admit that it's only reasonable to expect you to pay your fair share, but a c-note a month seems a bit steep.
Hope something like that doesn't happen at PC.