Airport Welcome Center preparing for take-off

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm

Reporter - News Analyst

February 9, 2017 2:31 p.m.

View of airport welcome center from parking area and south elevation

AAC Chair Sam Lane updates FBCC on airport improvements.

Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport is a little more than a year away from seeing major change with the construction of an airport welcome center scheduled for completion and occupancy around April 2018. The projected cost for the welcome center is $2.4-2.6M; the entire airport upgrade project is estimated around $4M.

The facility will be financed with grants, money from the airport enterprise fund, and additional financial support from 8 Flags Aviation, the newest Fixed Base Operator (FBO). The city’s share of the project -- $200K – will go toward basic interior finishing and fixtures. However, 8Flags Aviation has indicated a willingness to upgrade the interior finishing at its expense with city approval.

Sam Lane, chair of the city’s Airport Advisory Commission (AAC), updated the Fernandina Beach City Commission with a status report at the FBCC’s February 7, 2017 Regular Meeting. Lane reported that at this time the construction bid process is on track and the project is within budget. However, he advised the city to be prepared to prioritize some cuts to the project, should the bids come in higher than anticipated.

Bid documents were issued on February 1, and will be opened on March 8. Lane said that the award will be based on best value and hopefully approved by the FBCC at its March 21 Regular Meeting.

Construction Bid document. Full documents available on fbfl.us.

Lane presented the current elevation drawings prepared by Passero Associates design team. These drawings incorporate input from the AAC and city staff.

View of airport welcome center entrance from airfield and north elevation

City Manager Dale Martin will provide project oversight. City Engineer Andre Desilet, who reported to his new position in the city on February 3, will provide sporadic engineering oversight. Passero Associates will serve as the City Manager’s representative, generally to ensure that contract requirements are being met. They will also serve as a daily presence to sniff out problems and risks, according to Lane.

Vice Mayor Len Kreger

Lane raised potential environmental risks associated with construction. He expressed concern that the Navy may have buried fuel tanks on the site before abandoning their island presence after World War II. While there is no evidence to support this action at the Fernandina Beach airport, it is known that they did bury fuel tanks on at least one other abandoned site in Brunswick, Georgia.

Lane warned that if digging for footers reveals contaminated or environmentally sensitive waste, the project start could be significantly delayed. He reminded commissioners that a former dumpsite was found after the sale of FPU property directly across Airport Road. He suggested that if such material can be found now, the city could deal with it before construction work begins.

Passero project manager Andrew Holesko

Passero project representative Andrew Holesko weighed in, responding to Vice Mayor Len Kreger’s concerns about the potential for contaminated materials on the construction site. He said his firm has already performed borings on site to detect contamination and to determine soil stability. Passero also conducted a Phase 1 Environmental Audit, which did not produce a recommendation for additional test pits. Passero recommended some additional test pits at a cost around $10K, suggesting that the city could do some of this testing on its own. “It’s just one more item,” he said. “We wouldn’t want to open up the ground and find a problem. It’s one more thing to reduce risk.”

Commissioner Roy Smith

Commissioner Roy Smith argued that the problem with Passero’s recommended approach is that test pits are hit-or-miss propositions. They do not guarantee that several feet away from the pit a problem may exist. Passero agreed with Smith.

No decision was made during the meeting regarding additional test pits.

Commissioners accepted the report and asked the City Manager to work on a prioritized list of possible cuts to the projects that could be made if needed to keep the project on budget.

Editor's Note: Suanne Z. Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues that impact our city. We are grateful for Suanne's many contributions to the Fernandina Observer.