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Airports 2012 8 Airports 2012 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN Park. In Orange, there are two industrial parks, the 8 Airports 57-acre Orange Industrial Park to the east of the airport and the 59-acre Randall Pond Industrial Park to the west of the airport. The Orange Community There are two public-use airports located in Franklin Development Plan identified five locations for County. They are the Turners Falls Municipal Airport potential future industrial and large commercial in Montague, and the Orange Municipal Airport in development in Orange; three of the five sites were Orange. A map showing the locations of these near the Orange Municipal Airport. The FRCOG airports is located at the end of this chapter. These participated in the development of both the Orange public-use airports benefit the region in several Community Development Plan and the Montague ways. Primarily, local airports are part of a national Community Development Plan. air transportation system, which provides intermodal connections and alternatives for fast, The Orange Municipal Airport and Turners Falls efficient transportation of people and goods. The Municipal Airport have each engaged in long-term economic benefits of local airports include planning regarding improvements and expansions supporting existing businesses and attracting new to their facilities and use, including activities to businesses by providing convenient access to and attract additional business. The Turners Falls from the area. Local airports also provide public Municipal Airport and the Orange Municipal Airport safety services, such as emergency medical air are each directed by an Airport Commission with transportation. In addition, the popularity of some the assistance of an Airport Manager. Airport aviation-related recreational activities, such as Commission members are appointed by the Select parachuting, generates tourism activity that brings Board. many visitors to the area. Under the direction of the Airport Managers and According to the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Commissions, the airports each National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems, both implemented a community planning process to the Turners Falls and Orange Municipal Airports are create Airport Master Plans in the late 1990s and classified as “general aviation” airports. General early 2000s. An Airport Master Plan is a aviation airports provide facilities for privately comprehensive study of a particular airport as it owned personal and corporate aircraft, and are also plans for its future growth and development. The used for a variety of other aviation activities, such as community planning processes to create the Airport flight instruction, charter services, aerial agricultural Master Plans involved coordination between the spraying, aerial photography, parachuting and consultants preparing the plans, the Airport similar activities. Both airports are expected to Commissions, town boards and officials, the general remain general aviation airports in the future, and public, regional planning and economic are not expected to expand into commercial development organizations, and regional, State and airports with scheduled passenger or freight service. Federal agencies. The FRCOG participated actively At the same time, neither airport is at capacity, and in the development of the Airport Master Plans. As both airports could accommodate increased part of the master planning process, an Airport business and flight activity. Layout Plan (ALP) was prepared for each airport. An ALP is a detailed drawing of current and planned As indicated in the Orange Community airport facilities. The planning process also included Development Plan (2004) and the Montague the creation of a Capital Improvement Plan, which is Community Development Plan (2004), both airports a schedule of prioritized improvement projects with are viewed as important economic resources for their estimated costs. An airport’s Capital their towns and for the region overall. Both airports Improvement Plan is updated annually to reflect are located adjacent to industrial parks to facilitate completed projects and to prioritize future projects. and promote their use by local businesses. In Turners Falls, there is the 225-acre Airport Industrial Airports Chapter 8 – Page 1 Improvements that are specifically aviation-related currently anticipated to generate significant levels may be eligible for funding by the Federal Aviation of increased traffic on nearby roadways. However, Administration’s (FAA) Airport Improvement the FRCOG will continue to monitor the impact of Program (AIP). The purpose of the AIP is to provide the airport projects on area traffic and area assistance to public-use airports across the country roadways, and to recommend improvements, if to maintain a safe, secure, and efficient national civil necessary, at a future date. aviation system. The costs for AIP eligible projects are divided between the FAA, the Massachusetts Orange Municipal Airport Department of Transportation (MassDOT), and local Existing Conditions communities. The federal cost share of these projects is 90%, with the MassDOT and the local The Orange Municipal Airport is the largest airport airport sponsor each providing 5%. Relevant in the Franklin County region. Located in the Town projects eligible for the FAA’s AIP funding include of Orange on the eastern edge of Franklin County, facilities or equipment associated with the the airport is surrounded by two industrial parks, construction or reconstruction of an airport. AIP one on each side, and by forest land. The airport funding is not available for routine maintenance property abuts Route 2 and its entrance is projects. The Airport Safety and Maintenance approximately two miles from this highway. As Program (ASMP) of MassDOT provides funds for mentioned previously, the Orange Municipal projects, such as routine maintenance, that are not Airport is classified as a general aviation airport, eligible for AIP funding. Matching funds from the which provides facilities for personal and corporate local sponsor (usually the municipality) are also aircraft, and offers a variety of aviation and required for ASMP projects. All airport aviation-related activities. improvement projects, whether AIP eligible or ASMP eligible, must be listed on the statewide The airport was built in 1929 as the Orange-Athol Capital Improvement Plan which the airports file Airport. During World War II, the airport was with MassDOT. significantly upgraded for potential military use. The airport’s triangular runway configuration is a The planned improvements at the Turners Falls and remnant of this update. Currently, the airport has Orange Municipal Airports will increase these two active runways. The third previous runway is facilities’ current utility and safety, and will address now a taxiway. The airport’s two primary runways the projected future aviation needs in the region. are Runway 14-32, and the crosswind runway, These improvements will also promote economic Runway 01-19. Runway 01-019 measures 5,000 feet development in the region by providing high long and runway 14-32 measures 4,800 feet long. quality aviation facilities to existing business users Both runways are 75 feet wide and hard surfaced. and to prospective businesses that may be seeking The runways’ lengths enable the airport to to locate in Franklin County. The economic benefit accommodate a wider variety of aircraft than of the airports include the direct benefits of the smaller airports in the greater region, such as in activities on-site at the airport (such as airport Turners Falls, Gardner, and Fitchburg. In addition, workers’ salaries), indirect benefits from off-site the airport has fueling capability on-site, which can activities attributable to the airport (such as airport be an important feature for pilots choosing where worker, pilot, and passenger spending), and a to land. multiplier effect known as induced economic impact that results from the economic growth and Current airport tenants include aviation clubs, activities induced by the airports’ presence. For individuals, and six businesses that offer flight example, some of the business growth at the instruction and guided tours, air craft maintenance, industrial parks near the airports could be induced recreational parachuting activity, an advanced auto by the airports’ facilities and services. The airport driver training school, a motorcycle training school expansions and related business growth are not and a graphic arts/marketing firm. Several local businesses also use the airport on a regular basis. Airports Chapter 8 – Page 2 The average drive time for these passengers after more tie-down space, and the presence of a full- arriving at the airport is about 45 minutes. service fixed-based operator to service aircraft will allow it to accommodate growth as the economy recovers. The airport has 29 hangars; this is a 9 percent increase from 2006. More hangars are planned. However, the increased price to bring power to the hangars went from a few thousand dollars to approximately $30,000. Unfortunately, this fact has deterred a lot of potential business development. Current and Future Activities The Orange Airport has succeeded in acquiring the easements for the approaches and the removal of Aerial view of the Orange Municipal Airport (Pictometry) off-property obstructions related to future phases of airport property development. The airport has The Orange Municipal Airport was recently awarded also installed new security
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