A drainage plan devised by the City of Biddeford was approved by the state last week. The strategy of ripping up pavement, regrading and planting is an interesting solution ”“ it’s rare to see development undone.
In this case, the bulldozer work is planned at Biddeford Municipal Airport. Since there are some who would like to see the airport entirely removed, the idea of removing pavement may be more widely popular than most airport spending.
But the plan, an inexpensive solution to a drainage problem, is not intended to diminish the airport. It just calls for the removal of runway pavement that is currently unused. It was devised to correct a violation noted by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and will cost around $50,000, compared $800,000 for a stormwater drainage system.
It’s hard to fault the City Council for economizing on a facility that does not contribute substantially to the city’s economy. The airport’s potential is limited by its lack of facilities and its political opposition. Under these circumstances, removing pavement is good short-term strategy.
Yet it also shows that the city has no long-term strategy for the airport. As the airport manager has pointed out, this plan does not address the safety concerns raised by the FAA, nor even all the concerns raised by the DEP. It’s inevitable that councilors will have more decisions to make about its future.
Biddeford voters have made it clear that they don’t want to close the airport. City officials have decided on a difficult approach: Keeping the municipal airport operating without making any substantial improvements.
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Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Nick Cowenhoven by calling 282-1535, Ext. 327, or via e-mail at nickc@journaltribune.com.
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