Gaithersburg Airpark Worksession Highlights Oversight Gaps, Economic Potential, and Noise Complaints

September 23, 2025 – AI-assisted article based on YouTube transcript of Montgomery County Council meeting from Sep 15, 2025 – Joint TE/ECON Committee Hearing

“Wild West” or Community Asset?

The Montgomery County Council’s joint Transportation & Environment (TE) and Economic Development (ECON) Committee convened on September 15, 2025, to review the Airpark Community Advisory Committee’s (CAC) first annual report, which presented sweeping critiques of operations at the Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg. What began as a conversation about airplane noise quickly escalated into a far-reaching discussion of oversight lapses, economic stagnation, public safety risks, and lease mismanagement—with councilmembers, residents, and aviation professionals all weighing in.

Councilmember Natali Fani-González opened by acknowledging the Airpark’s dual role as an economic asset and a neighborhood disruptor, stressing the need to “modernize this facility” and make its operations more harmonious with surrounding communities 7:03. Chair Evan Glass noted that the CAC was created due to “many documented impacts on neighbors since the 1960s,” with the Council aiming for concrete, balanced solutions 15:00.

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Key Findings from the Airpark Community Advisory Committee

CAC Chair Skip Reindollar, a Marine Corps veteran, pilot, and local resident, offered blunt and impassioned testimony, highlighting widespread dissatisfaction and dysfunction under the current 99-year lease with DC Metro Aviation, which operates the airpark under the county’s Revenue Authority.

“This airport has as many operations as Frederick but none of the oversight. It’s like the Wild West out there.” 20:15

Major Issues Raised by the CAC Report:

• Lack of lease enforcement: The master lease’s safety and maintenance provisions are routinely ignored, and the Montgomery County Revenue Authority (MCRA) has not enforced them.
• Runway congestion & safety issues: The airpark is among the most dangerous to fly into, according to multiple pilots. Flight schools often disregard flight pattern guidelines, creating safety hazards 20:56.
• Improper hangar practices: A deceased aircraft owner’s plane was disassembled and sold without family permission, sparking a police report 24:58.
• Permitting violations: A new hangar was built without permits and still lacks proper drainage and safety compliance 25:44.
• Flight school dominance: A single large flight school operates over 20 aircraft, contributing to over 50,000 flight operations annually. Residents and aviators alike view it as a primary source of noise and safety concerns 30:03.
• Stagnant economic development: The airpark generates less economic impact than any other regional airport, despite its close proximity to Washington, D.C. 28:06.
• Community hostility: Reindollar and others received cease-and-desist letters from DC Metro Aviation for raising these concerns 30:50.

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Revenue Authority Responds

MCRA CEO Keith Miller acknowledged many of the concerns but emphasized that the 99-year lease limits their authority over operations and facilities. The original lease, he said, was designed to “protect the lessee,” not county oversight.

He stressed that MCRA only controls the runways and taxiways, while the lessee controls the hangars, flight schools, and maintenance buildings 35:52.

“We’re frustrated too. But we cannot unilaterally change a lease that was legally signed for 99 years.” 1:01:04

MCRA Commitments:

• Improve website transparency and publish noise complaint data
• Explore language accessibility for non-English speakers
• Collaborate with the CAC on new recommendations
• Push for a control tower, which they say would significantly improve flight regulation and safety 53:08

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Council Pushes for Action

Councilmembers called for clear accountability and a proactive posture from MCRA, emphasizing that many of the issues cited—including permit violations, noise complaints, and flight safety risks—are not just regulatory quirks but potential liabilities.

Councilmember Dawn Luedtke, who spearheaded the reformation of the CAC, said the FAA has repeatedly failed to act despite documented safety violations. She urged MCRA to take a more aggressive role in pushing federal regulators and to document every communication for accountability 1:40:00.

“We’re trying so desperately to get the FAA to pay attention. What meets the standard of ‘enough is enough’?” 1:39:04

Councilmember Sayles asked for clarification on how the airpark budgets for capital repairs, learning that nearly all capital improvements to the airpark’s infrastructure rely on federal and state grants. Meanwhile, the lessee bears responsibility for hangars but has failed to act, with no enforcement mechanism in place. 1:17:15

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Quick-Hit Summary:

• Committee Reviewed: Airpark Community Advisory Committee 2025 Annual Report
• Chaired by: Councilmembers Evan Glass and Natali Fani-González
• Key Finding: Widespread governance failures at Gaithersburg Airpark by lessee DC Metro Aviation
• Top Complaints:
  • Unsafe flight operations
  • Lack of transparency
  • Flooded/dilapidated hangars
  • Noise from flight schools
  • FAA inaction
• Committee Recommendation:
  • Stronger Council oversight
  • Control tower construction
  • Enforcement of maintenance & safety standards
  • Updated noise complaint tools and multilingual access
• Next Steps:
  • Document and elevate FAA complaints
  • Consider homebuyer notification reform
  • Assess community support for a control tower
  • Enhance transparency via MCRA website

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This hearing revealed both the urgent need for reform and the frustrating limits of local control over federally regulated aviation infrastructure. Despite significant barriers, councilmembers and the CAC remain committed to advocating for safer, quieter, and more economically productive operations at Montgomery County Airpark.

Watch the full video and read the full CAC report:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62NC4sS3D9w

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Note: This article was aided by AI including automated transcription and AI interpretation and may contain errors. For corrections or concerns about accuracy, please contact us or leave a comment on the page below.

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