‘The Landing’ at Pearland Regional Airport may be grounded before takeoff. A new letter from the FAA dated August 26 indicates the mobile home development is a potential violation of grant assurances and could result in a number of corrective actions, including requiring the airport to pay back up to $17 million in federal funding and removal of the airport’s “Reliever” status.
The letter is addressed to the airport operator, Texas Aviation Partners, and owner, Stephen Alexander. It appears to be in direct response to the recent issuance of a permit by the Brazoria County Drainage District to “allow construction of a storm water drainage basin on federally obligated land at LVJ.” LVJ is the official identifier code for Pearland Regional Airport.
The letter comes from Ignacio Flores, Director of the FAA Office of Airports for the Southwest Region. Mr. Flores is responsible for airports in five states, including Texas.
The FAA has invested millions of dollars of federal funding in the airport through grants. With those funds come several obligations on the part of the recipient. These “Grant Assurances” include limiting development of the airport property. There is a process for requesting authorization from the FAA, but it appears those steps have not been taken.
The FAA letter includes a deadline of Sept. 9 to coordinate a request for release of federal obligations or face consequences. In addition to potentially having to repay the $17 million in federal funding, the airport could also lose its status as a reliever airport and be delisted from the FAA’s National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems.
While the potential consequences for Mr. Alexander and Texas Aviation Partners could be severe, the question remains if the developer of ‘The Landing’, Live Lone Star, will be deterred. The federally obligated land in question was purchased by Live Lone Star and it is not yet clear if the FAA has any standing to prevent the development from moving forward.
To read the letter for yourself, click here.
