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Clearfield-Jefferson airport authority approves land sale
Saturday, May 26, 2012
By Dianne Byers Staff Writer
REYNOLDSVILLE - Clearfield-Jefferson Counties Regional Airport Authority officially approved a second sale of land in its air commerce park at yesterday's meeting.
With a 7-0 vote, authority members approved executing the release of a deed and authorizing Loren Bishop, chairman, and Jay Chamberlin, secretary/treasurer, to facilitate the sale of an 11.47-acre parcel to Orion Drilling Co., Corpus Christi, Texas, at a cost of $272,250. The sale is expected to go through next week. The property's deed includes covenants with both the Federal Aviation Administration and the authority governing development of the property.
Voting to approve were Joe Barber, Jeff Bellmore, Bishop, Chamberlin, Gene Mineweaser, Joel Peterson and David Stern, members. Members Todd Arnold and Rick Wise were absent.
The authority announced at its Nov. 23 meeting it was working with the privately-held company that fabricates, assembles, commissions and operates drilling rigs used in extricating gas from the Marcellus and Utica layers, to purchase the property. At that meeting, Joseph Goetz, Orion's district manager, reported there is a potential to employ up to 60 people at the facility once it is built.
"It was a lot of effort on everyone's part but we are happy to have Orion as the newest tenant in the Air Commerce Park," said Robert Shaffer, airport manager. Last year the authority sold a five-acre parcel to AVERA Capital Partners, Houston, which developed the site for Cactus Wellhead, Houston. Cactus supplies and services wellhead equipment used by oil and gas companies.
In a related matter, the authority accepted a bid from Francis J. Palo Inc., Clarion, to prepare the site purchased by Orion at a cost of $1,066,708. Just less than a third of the cost will be paid for with the remaining half of a $635,100 grant from the state Department of Transportation's Bureau of Aviation's Capital Budget/Aviation Assistance Program. Orion will pay the remaining costs. There is no cost to the authority.
The work to be done includes filling and leveling the site, extending utilities, extending and paving an access road and cul-de-sac, adding fencing and landscaping to prepare the land for the construction of a building to be used by the Orion. A.J. Coval of Lee Simpson Engineers Inc., DuBois, the authority's engineer, said four offers were received for the project and Palo had the lowest proposal.
Work on the parcel is expected to get under way by July 1 and Palo has 90 days to complete the job.
Suzanne Friedl, purchasing agent for Orion, who attending the authority's meeting, said in an interview following the meeting, she had no information on when construction of the company's facility would get under way.
In other business, the authority:
• heard the U.S. Department of Transportation is advertising for proposals for an airline carrier to supply essential air service at DuBois Regional Airport. In 2010, Silver Airways', formerly Gulfstream Airlines, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., proposal was accepted as the airport's federally subsidized flight provider. Shaffer said he hopes the authority would have a progress report on the process at its June meeting.
• heard Shaffer report a field study to gather data for the airport's new wildlife management plan, was conducted last week. Testing over a three-day period found 12 field mice in traps placed in the area surrounding the airport.
Shaffer said he believes the airport does not have a problem with animals getting inside the perimeter fencing; however, it is required by the Federal Aviation Administration to have a plan in place. The process is half way completed, Shaffer said.
• heard Bishop report the airport is doing well and the authority continues to try to meet its obligations with the limited amount of income it realizes. He said May was a good month with greater than expected fuel sales.
The authority's next meeting is June 22 at 8:30 a.m. at DuBois Regional Airport's conference room.
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