By JOE LoTEMPLIO
Staff Writer
PLATTSBURGH —
Plattsburgh International Airport has become a victim of its own success.
"I think it may be time to start charging for parking," Clinton County Legislator Robert Heins said at Wednesday night's meeting.
Heins (R-Area 10, City of Plattsburgh), who chairs the county's Airport Committee, said the parking lot at the airport has been overflowing with cars since winter, and the situation has gotten worse this summer.
"I think some people have taken advantage of the free parking and have left their cars there all winter. We need to be able to control that."
TRAFFIC INCREASE
The airport opened in the summer of 2007 on the flight line of the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base, off Route 22 just south of the city.
It was built with more than $40 million of federal money to replace the smaller former Clinton County Airport on Route 3.
Since it opened, the airport has been a booming success, drawing thousands of passengers from the Montreal, Quebec, market.
In addition to daily flights to Boston, the airport offers direct flights to south Florida and South Carolina, which have proven to be immensely popular with Canadian travelers.
In the past three years, traffic at the airport slowed down somewhat in the summer as fewer people travel south in the warmer weather.
But this year, with the addition of Colgan Air as the carrier to Boston, traffic is up.
Colgan started offering daily flights to Boston at the end of June on 34-seat passenger aircraft. Colgan replaced Cape Air, which had been providing daily service to that city the past two years using nine-seat airplanes.
Colgan has reported that in the month it has been operating at the airport, the number of passengers has been way ahead of projections this year.
LOT OVERFLOW
Airport Manager Tom Long said the airport has 1,187 parking spots, and on Wednesday about 2,500 cars were there.
Cars have been parking on grassy areas and other places that are not designated for parking.
Long said that not only travelers, but airport employees, are having difficulty finding a place to park.
"We're out of room."
CONTRACT EYED
The Airport Committee recommended the county seek bids from companies willing to manage the parking situation, and legislators agreed.
Heins said, that way, the county will have the ability to determine the rates and what portion of the gate it will receive but will not have to deal with running the operation.
Keith Defayette (R-Area 5, Schuyler Falls) agreed.
"The county doesn't have the expertise to run a parking lot, and this way a company can come in and take care of it and keep costs for the county down."
Legislature Chairman Jimmy Langley (R-Area 7, Peru) said parking has been expanded three times since the airport opened three years ago.
"This is a problem of our own success," he said.
But the free parking has been credited with some of the airport's success. Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce officials and county legislators have said it is one of the advantages Plattsburgh has over other airports and is a big draw for Canadian visitors.
Chamber President Garry Douglas said Thursday that the county legislators always knew that some day they would have to charge for parking.
“It’s just happening sooner than we expected. But it is a happy challenge of success.”
Douglas said the key will be to make sure any parking rates are modest to ensure that the airport stays competitive.
“I think looking at what is available is appropriate, particularly because we have a long-term plan.
E-mail Joe LoTemplio at: jlotemplio@pressrepublican.com
