A sharply divided Barnstable Town Council voted Jan. 30 to ask the state’s economic development agency to conduct a feasibility study that will include a look at the possibility of creating a combined commercial and military airport at Joint Base Cape Cod on the Upper Cape.
The move, for some, casts doubt on the town’s commitment to the town-owned Barnstable Gateway Airport in Hyannis.
Precinct 3 Councilor Betty Ludtke asked the council to endorse a letter to Mass Development requesting the study. She said it’s a chance to take advantage of an opportunity to gather useful information.
“This will inform decision-making and I think it’s important for us as a town council to make the best decisions with the best information. This is a rare opportunity for us to jump on a well thought-out planning document,” Ludtke said.
The Barnstable County Board of Regional Commissioners supports the study as part of a larger study of the military base and possible uses for it.
Precinct 2 Councilor Dr. Kristin Terkelsen also said there is value for the Barnstable Airport Commission, which runs the Gateway Airport, as it plans future projects.
“I look forward to data. I think that’s important, especially for such a large property that’s been around for a hundred years,” Terkelsen said.
But other councilors worried about the message the feasibility study might send.
Precinct 8 Councilor Jeffrey Mendes said support for the feasibility study could be interpreted as a lack of commitment to the airport and support for its re-use as a site for housing as some have advocated.
But he reminded councilors that in order to close the Barnstable Gateway Airport the town of Barnstable would have to pay back millions of dollars in federal grants. He also said 1,700 people work at the airport in Hyannis and that the airport is profitable.
Mendes said he personally would like to see the Hyannis airport move. “I hear those planes all day long,” Mendes said. “But our job is to do the right thing for the town.”
Support for the existing airport also came from its manager Katie Servis. She said talk of someday relocating the airport has led to uneasiness on the part of some tenants as they renew their leases with the airport.
“Many of these new leases have asked our attorneys to put in clauses that refer to the closure of the airport and what they would get in return if that would happen. They are already thinking about this,” Servis said.
She also said closure of the Hyannis airport would have effects on travelers from the Lower and Outer Cape who would then have to travel to Joint Base Cape Cod to make connections.
The council vote was 7-5 in support of asking Mass Development for the feasibility study. There is no guarantee the agency will conduct the study, and if it does, when it might be complete.
