ROCKINGHAM — One of several discussion items on the agenda for a special meeting of the Richmond County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday dealt with lease at the Richmond County Airport.
County Manager Bryan Land explained that the deal would be a ground lease — something the county has only done once in the past 20 years — for a private hangar.
“We wouldn’t be constructing the hangar,” Land said. “All we would be doing (is) leasing the ground that the hangar would be built on.”
Land added that the plane’s owner would be hiring the contractor, engineer and paying for the construction.
“It’s typically a 20-year deal with escalators built in annually, based on (the Consumer Price Index),” Land said. “The way it’s looking now, it’s around $500 a month …just for the ground lease.”
Land said there would be stipulations — that the attorneys would work out —that would require the plane to be based in Richmond County and the fuel would have to be purchased from the airport.
The plane in question, Land said, is a $10-12 million asset — having a tax equivalent to the Weatherstone subdivision or half of Pine Lakes.
Land said nothing was finalized, but commissioners may see the issue come up in August.
Commissioner Jason Gainey, a former airport director, wanted to make sure the hangar would match what’s already on the property and Land said it would.
Gainey, who joined the meeting remotely, later asked if the plane’s owner would maintain ownership of the hangar at the end of the lease or if it would revert to the county.
Land said the airport in Rock Hill, South Carolina, gives the owner/lessee the opportunity to “re-up the rent” for another 10-15 year term at current market rates.
Commissioner Jamie Gathings said he learned about the potential deal from a resident several months ago and asked why the board hadn’t been informed about it until now.
Commissioner Jamie Gathings, right, questions County Manager Bryan Land, left, about being on a plane related to a potential lease agreement at the airport.
William R. Toler - Richmond Observer
“I don’t know how citizens would know about this,” Land said.
Gathings also asked Land if he had been on the plane in question within the past 12 months. The county manager replied he has been on the plane, as recently as “a couple of weeks ago” and confirmed he flew in it on a trip to the Turks and Caicos Islands.
“Now how does that look for our citizens? Gathings asked, with no reply from anyone at the meeting.
Chairman Jeff Smart then asked Land for an update on a project related to a business coming to the airport.
Last year, the county was awarded a $1.135 million NCDOT aviation grant for the construction of a 55,000-square-foot hangar that will house J&M Aviation, a Vermont-based business that is relocating to the airport.
When the grant was announced, Public Works Director Jerry Austin told commissioners that the company — which specializes in aircraft painting, repair and servicing — is planning to provide nine new jobs with an average salary of $46,800, and has plans to expand operations in the future.
Land said that project should go out to bid within the next 60 days.
Commissioners continued to discuss adding additional hangars before switching to lengthening the runway.
Gainey said Richmond County is “basically 300 feet” away from competing with Moore and Scotland counties.
According to Gainey, Scotland is working toward facilitating commuter jet service to larger airports like Raleigh-Durham International and Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro.
“You’re only 300 feet away from us being able to do the same thing — and we have a reason for people to come here, and they don’t,” Gainey said. “We’ve got Amazon and the race track so…I think it’s 300 feet you should consider.”
(NOTE: The RO will have more from the June 30 special meeting in upcoming days.)
