Agenda 03/11/2025 Item #11D (To identify FAA and FDOT requirements and obligations associated with the deactivation of the Everglades Airpark)SEE REVERSE SIDE
Proposed Agenda Changes
Board of County Commissioners Meeting
March 11, 2025
Move item 16G2 to 11D: Recommendation to authorize staff to engage the Federal Aviation Administration and
the Florida Department of Transportation to seek guidance and information regarding the potential deactivation of
Everglades Airpark (X01) as a public airport. (Commissioner LoCastro’s, Commissioner Saunders’, Commissioner
McDaniel’s, Commissioner Kowal’s, and Commissioner Hall’s Separate Requests)
Continue item 16B13 to the March 25 BCC Meeting: Recommendation to award Invitation to Bid (“ITB”) No.
24-8316, “Landscape Maintenance for Work Areas 18B, 20B, 21B, 23, 27,” to Mainscape, Inc., Superb Landscape
Services, Inc., and Superior Landscaping & Lawn Service, Inc., on a Primary/Secondary basis, and authorize the
Chairman to sign the attached agreements. (Commissioner McDaniel’s Request)
Continue item 16B15 to the March 25 BCC Meeting: Recommendation to approve a Traffic Signal Agreement
with Cameron Commons, authorize the Chairman to sign a traffic signal agreement with Cameron Commons Unit
Two Property Owner’s Association that will authorize the construction of a traffic signal at the intersection of
Immokalee Road and Bellaire Bay Drive and memorialize that the signal may be removed at the County’s
discretion. (Staff’s Request)
Notes:
TIME CERTAIN ITEMS:
3/10/2025 8:46 PM
3/11/2025
Item # 16.G.2
ID# 2024-2169
Executive Summary
Recommendation to authorize staff to engage the Federal Aviation Administration and the Florida Department of
Transportation to seek guidance and information regarding the potential deactivation of Everglades Airpark (X01) as a
public airport.
OBJECTIVE: To identify Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) and Florida Department of Transportation
(“FDOT”) requirements and obligations associated with the deactivation of the Everglades Airpark.
CONSIDERATIONS: The Collier County Airport Authority (the "Authority") owns and operates three airports: Marco
Island Executive Airport, Immokalee Regional Airport, and the Everglades Airpark. Collier County acquired the
Everglades Airpark in 1968. Since that time, the Everglades Airpark has operated at an annual deficit, with additional
losses due to the depreciation of assets.
The Marco Island Executive Airport and the Immokalee Regional Airport currently maintain a positive net operating
position, while financial losses at Everglades Airpark are expected to continue due to the following factors:
1. The "Unclassified" status of Everglades Airpark. In 2013, the FAA underwent an evaluation of all airports
within the National Plan of Integrated Airport System (“NPIAS”) to determine the classification for each airport
based upon its unique attributes. As a result of the evaluation, the Everglades Airpark was placed in an
“Unclassified” status. As an “Unclassified” airport, Everglades Airpark does not receive any guaranteed annual
FAA grant (entitlements) funding or FDOT funding. That is, any funding is at the sole discretion of the FAA.
Further, FDOT will only participate if FAA funding is provided. Without the benefit of FAA and FDOT grants,
it becomes quite burdensome to fund any significant capital improvements.
2. Lack of available developable land adjacent to the airfield and runway length. Opportunities to acquire
additional land for revenue generating facilities are limited and, without the assistance of FAA and FDOT
funding, cost prohibitive. The short 2,400-foot runway cannot be extended without filling in the environmentally
sensitive mangrove areas and areas of sea grass. The short runway limits the size of aircraft that can safely
utilize the airport, limits the number of aircraft that can be accommodated, and reduces the amount of fuel that
can be sold. The current airpark exists on less than 32 acres of land, including the road right-of-way coming into
the airpark.
3. The Everglades Airpark is in an environmentally restrictive location. The airpark is directly adjacent to
Everglades National Park with its protected flora and fauna, sensitive wetlands, mangroves and endangered
species. The airpark was denied the ability to have a seaplane base by Florida Fish & Wildlife in 2017 due to
manatee concerns. The seaplane base would have brought in new air traffic activities and fuel sales.
4. Condition of existing facilities. The single hangar building with eight aircraft bays was badly damaged and then
repaired after Hurricane Irma in 2017. In September 2022, much of the repaired features were again destroyed as
a result of Hurricane Ian. The additional repairs still required are estimated to be more than $1.2 million.
5. Flooding and caustic environment. The location of the airpark is prone to flooding and the proximity to
saltwater significantly reduces the useful life of equipment. Had the repairs related to Hurricane Ian been
completed before this past summer, hurricanes Debbie, Helene, and Milton would have certainly damaged them
again. The entire runway was submerged under several feet of seawater at least three times in 2024. Portions of
the self-fueling facility have been underwater multiple times, rendering it unreliable since 2022.
6. Limited aircraft operations, lack of based aircraft, and short distance to other NPIAS airports. With 3,569
operations in 2024, Everglades Airpark averaged less than ten (10) operations per day. The Marco Island
Executive Airport is just twenty (20) miles away and could easily absorb traffic from Everglades Airpark. The
Naples Airport is just over thirty miles away, as the next best alternative after the Marco Island Executive
Airport. To meet the lowest criteria above being “Unclassified” and to be classified as a “Basic” airport in the
NPIAS, an airport must have at least ten (10) based aircraft. The Everglades Airpark currently has three (3)
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3/11/2025
Item # 16.G.2
ID# 2024-2169
seasonally based aircraft on tiedown agreements. The damaged hangars could accommodate eight (8) aircraft but
have been unoccupied since Hurricane Ian. Having the Everglades Airpark reclassified as “Basic” is required to
be eligible for FAA-AIP funding.
Between 2003 and 2022, the County executed a total of six FAA-AIP (Airport Improvement Program) grants and each
grant carries with it multiple assurances that remain in effect for the useful life of each project funded. The useful life of
the FAA-funded projects at Everglades Airpark is for twenty (20) years from the issuance date of each FAA grant. The
last FAA-AIP grant was issued in 2021, holding federal grant obligations until 2041.
The process of requesting FAA permission and seeking the release of some or all of the grant assurances begins with
evidence that the governing body responsible for the airpark agrees that the deactivation as a public airport is the intent.
Next, a letter would be sent to the FAA requesting the deactivation and inquiring what steps and timelines would be
necessary to complete the deactivation. It is anticipated that this request will be escalated to the FAA leadership in
Washington D.C. and would likely take a considerable period of time to receive a final answer.
As part of the Board's priority-based budgeting process, the team looked at opportunities to reverse the course of the
continued annual deficit at the Everglades Airpark. Consistent with the Resource X priority-based budgeting insights, the
potential decommissioning of the Airpark would allow for reallocation of resources to Marco Island & Immokalee
airports, both of which have positive net operating positions. This agenda item does not require the Board to
decommission the Airpark, but will support formal discussions and information gathering to be presented to the Board at
a future meeting, where staff will seek further direction. In addition to gathering information from FAA & FDOT, staff
will conduct public engagement to solicit input and feedback from the aviation community.
This item is consistent with the Collier County Strategic Plan with a focus on Responsible Governance. Fiscal
stewardship and maintaining self-sustaining airports to not be a burden on the Collier County General Fund.
Additionally, under the Infrastructure and Asset Management objectives, this item is consistent with the planning of
sustainable infrastructure.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with this item at this time. Pending the outcome, the Authority
will coordinate with the FAA and FDOT to determine any financial obligations the Authority may be responsible for. To
date, FAA capital funding in the amount of $2,929,399.91 has been accepted on behalf of the Everglades Airpark
through the Airport Improvement Program. FDOT provided 5% matching funds on the FAA-AIP grants. Any potential
grant repayment could be funded by proceeds from the sale of assets at Everglades Airpark, including the fee simple sale
of the land.
GROWTH MANAGEMENT IMPACT: This item is consistent with Section B: Intermodal & Multimodal
Transportation, Subsection 2: Aviation of the Transportation Element of the Growth Management Plan.
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: This item is approved as to form and legality and requires majority vote for Board
approval. —SRT
RECOMMENDATIONS: Recommendation to authorize staff to engage the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to seek guidance and information regarding the potential
deactivation of Everglades Airpark (X01) as a public airport.
PREPARED BY: Bryant Garrett, AAE
ATTACHMENTS:
None
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