[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6529908,"mediaKeyId","3779547-93b51d0144788992549f4fe5bf8199a1","parentId",3779547,"title","City committee reviews 50-year ground lease for Hangar 5 at New Bedford Airport","audioSeconds",229,"startMs",211000,"endMs",440000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3779547-93b51d0144788992549f4fe5bf8199a1&start=211&end=440","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3779547-93b51d0144788992549f4fe5bf8199a1/thumbnail_211000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6529908/New-Bedford-City/Bristol-County/Massachusetts/City-committee-reviews-50-year-ground-lease-for-Hangar-5-at-New-Bedford-Airport","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6529908-34f8fd8d338f9a002144be140ce96e7d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160852&Signature=nsMo~32ju1p3Bcv5zBx2sKXo6axwALmc7AJolZSjTVtC3-UOVKEOCfJKu1mMDr1-B3tKJLiEDMx6QfK~WxEJPXF8QCGvwIL19RrTlLxeEo54pTehBU3mdFYmWtIQRQnZEXorvaAZ2h8R7qaP~sEdbXvbok5DTdC4e-jpiSvM4E0hiRYsOS5Z17rr8U1RWKOE2vSIsHU0IotYL5JsF5p5UP6ixZYdPKlnDsbi4hOF~wehylj1Pyy6~rWKhIfrpRqgKnbnLncw00W0c8GJmNxPWaMpxK-0C-KFLpOj16GbsU6yAAdZG5bovUs0TsYrU-My-4Ue0KzteE0glZsE2lliYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Bedford","date","2025-06-11T00:00:00Z","article","The Committee on Finance on Wednesday reviewed a proposed ground lease between the New Bedford Airport Commission and the trustees of the 5 Hangar Trust to construct a new Hangar 5 at New Bedford Regional Airport and voted to refer the matter to the full City Council for approval.

The lease covers about 28,160 square feet of airport property and is structured as a ground lease in which the tenant owns the building and the city retains the land. Scott Service of the airport team said the deal is “a 50 year lease, 5 year primary term, 9, renewals,” and that the parties currently rely on a 2020 aviation appraisal that set the ground rent at $0.32 per square foot.

Why it matters: committee members pressed the airport for details on monthly and annual rent, temporary abatements during construction, five‑year rent adjustments and contractual language that would allow the airport to retake property if needed. Several councilors expressed concern about using an older appraisal for long leases and asked the airport to supply clearer documentation tying an LLC listed on the signature page to the trustees who would sign the lease.

Key terms and questions
Scott Service said the ground rent amounts to “exactly 750 and 93¢” per month and “Per year, that is $9,011.20.” Service told the committee that, to ease construction costs for the developer, the lease contains abatements: “for the initial 9 months, there is an abatement of 90%. For the following 9 months, there's an abatement for 70%.” After those 18 months the lease reverts to full market value, Service said.

Service estimated the developer’s construction timeline at about 12 to 13 months and said the airport expects some short‑term revenue sacrifice with the goal of stimulating longer‑term development and activity that would generate fuel sales and FBO business.

Rent adjustments and authority to retake property
Committee members pressed on how the city will protect long‑term value. Service and airport staff said rent will be adjusted every five years, based on the greater of a new appraisal or the cumulative five‑year CPI change. On the question of whether the airport can take back land if a different airport use becomes necessary, Service said there are “indemnification and clauses in there and stuff where we we can take the property back if it's better used for other airport purposes.” The chair requested the specific lease sections describing that authority prior to the council vote.

Document change and ownership clarity
Airport staff told the committee a revised signature page (page 46) adds FMV Associates LLC, named in connection with the trustees of the 5 Hangar Trust. Committee members said FMV Associates LLC does not appear elsewhere in the body of the 45‑page document and asked the airport to provide corporate formation documents, trustee certificates and solicitor review tying the LLC to the trust before the full council considers the lease. The chair said the item may be laid on the table at the full council meeting if the requested information is not provided.

Action
The finance committee voted by voice vote to receive and place the lease on file and refer the order and the lease documents to the full City Council for approval. The committee required the airport to supply the lease sections and supporting documents that clarify signing authority and the LLC’s role.

What’s next
Airport staff committed to send the lease excerpt and evidence of trustee and LLC authority to the committee chair and the city solicitor ahead of the council meeting. Councilors said they expect the full City Council to consider the lease at its next available meeting.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","New Bedford - Finance Committee - Jun 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Committee on Finance on Wednesday reviewed a proposed ground lease between the New Bedford Airport Commission and the trustees of the 5 Hangar Trust to construct a new Hangar 5 at New Bedford Regional Airport and voted to refer the matter to the full City Council for approval.","taxTitle","New Bedford City, Bristol County, Massachusetts","taxId",5758,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6529899,"Committee refers proposed Upper Cushnet River public rowing dock to full council after questions about outreach and site selection",546,1965000,2511000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3779547-93b51d0144788992549f4fe5bf8199a1&start=1965&end=2511","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3779547-93b51d0144788992549f4fe5bf8199a1/thumbnail_1965000.jpg","/articles/6529899/New-Bedford-City/Bristol-County/Massachusetts/Committee-refers-proposed-Upper-Cushnet-River-public-rowing-dock-to-full-council-after-questions-about-outreach-and-site-selection","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6529899-a83538ec1b2c0a0f6d19fc3455f03001/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160852&Signature=kC96eJRGVCJEP6FbVdPaxsF1dXzlFcezsQMSAnYDzbnhswK5mpdp6iVKa2PrPx4~sXg8NOxAwVECKLuP9FWUqRhZa1IU994rNA3XW1v2upP-Dxod~nSlQxekijRkuC2t49MRyFYPo81eAvHiZOCFbQmEX9C5U5sff7-GGp1h7YxPJsZ2PKZoxvsYOp~8BaniKiijAHF0rZKqRxxEYrmTuYGThbExtwTnN6lnRjEoPCcfx35TVpprjiW-r~gSKNywitbPFDYOvDzv1F1wDyHVrM4ff62c3cKmzFoCg8Jn65DmL7g-vTjn6Rwisogia14QNidAk7f~GaWbYq81tJzGsA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The finance committee voted Wednesday to refer to the full City Council a Community Preservation Committee recommendation to fund a public rowing dock on the Upper Cushnet River (Acushnet River) at the Aravox site.

Presenters from the Community Preservation Committee described two parallel efforts: creation of an Upper Acushnet rowing center and development of RiverWalk access points. Mary Raposa, working with the CPC, told the committee there were two public meetings — March 8, 2023, and March 28, 2024 — with “over 40 folks in attendance” and that an advisory committee of public members and city staff guided site selection and dock design.

Why it matters: the project would create a public, no‑fee launch site for kayaks, canoes, rowing shells and Azorean whaleboats and is intended to expand non‑motorized access to the north side of the river. Some rowing community members said they felt excluded from the advisory process, and councilors requested more documentation on outreach, advisory‑committee selection and the comparative analysis of sites.

Site selection, users and maintenance
Raposa said the advisory group evaluated three sites: Market Basket (ruled out because the city does not own the parcel), Sawyer Street (a bulkhead site under EPA oversight and judged to require more infrastructure), and the Aravox site (city‑controlled, shallow grade to the water and judged most suitable). On the Aravox site Raposa said engineers and dock fabricators recommended a low‑profile launch and that “we're confident that these docs are gonna be well received by the public.”

On use and access Raposa said, “Anyone. Anyone with a kayak, anyone with a canoe, anyone can use the docks.” She added the docks are intended to remain free and open to the public; initially they will not be scheduled or staffed, and the city (DPI/parks) would maintain them.

Transparency and advisory committee composition
Several councilors said the project appears broadly supported but raised concerns about transparency and representation. Councilors questioned how the advisory committee was formed and why some rowing interests felt excluded. Raposa said the advisory committee members were drawn from participants at the public meetings and included representatives from New Bedford Rowing Center, New Bedford Community Rowing, the Azorean Maritime Heritage Society, Whaling City Rowing and New Bedford Public Schools. She noted the organization Row New Bedford formed in August and that many of its members had been represented through earlier organizations at the time the advisory group was formed.

Design and timeline
Raposa said the proposed dock would be accessible and sized to berth multiple vessel types; she described plans that include approximately 200 feet of main dock length (longer with wings) to accommodate rowing shells and traditional whaleboats. She said the Aravox site could be built quickly if funded and that the city envisages multiple launch points along the RiverWalk in the future.

Action
The committee voted to accept the CPC recommendation and to refer the CPA project to the full City Council for approval. Committee members said they will expect meeting minutes, documentation of outreach and the advisory committee’s deliberations to be provided to councilors before the full council vote.

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The finance director explained the rescission is intended to “get the books cleaned up and taken off of there” while staff confirm that the underlying projects are complete or otherwise fully funded. Committee members asked how the city will avoid repeating the problem; staff said they will periodically contact departments about project expenses and review authorized unissued balances as debt is reissued.

Why it matters: large, long‑standing authorizations can affect the city’s reported borrowing capacity and appear in rating‑agency reviews. Staff said the change is more a matter of financial housekeeping than an immediate fiscal relief; it improves clarity around the city’s debt obligations.

What the officials said
A finance presenter told the committee: “The city would like to rescind and authorize unissued debt balance totaling $118,876,793 The value includes authorizations that date back to 1990, and the status of the authorized donation debt continues to be a topic of discussion internally and externally, and, we'd like to, keep this purview or keep proactive, on this, and that's why we're asking for approval of this, so that we can get the books cleaned up and taken off of there.”

Committee members pressed staff on safeguards. A finance official said the city will reach out to department heads annually or more frequently to track project spending and that the city now conducts ongoing project meetings to avoid the sort of long, unused authorizations that accumulated in past decades. Another staff member said the problem largely reflected how some loan orders were authorized without later cleanups or accounting for reimbursements from state or federal sources.

Action
By voice vote the committee voted to receive and place the order on file and to refer to the full City Council for approval. Staff said they will pursue a periodic review schedule — biannual or triannual at minimum — to prevent a recurrence.

Note on effect
Officials cautioned the rescission itself does not immediately change outstanding debt service; it removes authorizations that had not been borrowed against. Staff said the action should modestly improve the city's apparent debt capacity and demonstrates tighter financial management in future reviews by rating agencies.

","City finance staff told the finance committee they want to rescind $118,876,793 in authorized but unissued debt dating back to 1990 to ‘‘clean up the books’’ and to improve debt capacity; the committee referred the order to the full City Council.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City committee reviews 50-year ground lease for Hangar 5 at New Bedford Airport

Committee refers proposed Upper Cushnet River public rowing dock to full council after questions about outreach and site selection

Finance staff seek to rescind $118.9 million in long‑standing unissued authorized debt