Plans to build

new commercial hangars at Falcon Field are coming into conflict with federal

officials who claim the structures might interfere with readings at a

weather monitoring facility operated there by the National Weather Service.

According to

airport officials, federal representatives have threatened to "pull"

the Automated Surface and Observing System from Falcon Field if the airport

authority doesn't sign a "license" which could possibly be interpreted

to forbid any buildings from being within 500 feet of the station.

The problem:

at least one of the sites at the new Hangar Area B will likely be within

100 feet of the ASOS monitoring station, said Airport Manager Jim Savage.

It is believed the new hangars might interfere with wind readings at the

ASOS station, but it is unlikely any other readings could be affected,

Savage said.

The ASOS station

gauges wind direction, wind velocity, temperature, dew point, visibility

and ceiling height, Savage said.

"Obviously,

we want the sensor here and we want good information from it," Savage

said. The weather data from the sensor is often used by pilots coming

to and departing from Falcon Field.

The authority

has already spent approximately $580,324 in federal and local funds to

prepare the Hangar Area B site to lease to commercial proprietors at a

higher price than it currently charges for its other hangar space. To

recoup its money, and eventually turn a profit on the area, the authority

is counting on financial returns from rent payments on the six sites at

Hangar Area B.

Authority Chairwoman

Catherine Nelmes said she had no problem with the authority agreeing to

relocating any sensors the new hangars might interfere with. Such a provision

is included in the license the authority approved Wednesday night.

But the authority

voted to "cross out" the paragraph that might ban any structures

from being built within 500 feet of the ASOS.

"I don't

have a problem with us moving it and us paying for it," Nelmes said.

In other business,

the authority also voted to replace its electronic gate system after it

was damaged the evening of July 11. The gate system will be replaced with

a hydraulic mechanism that will likely be more sturdy than the previous

chain and sprocket system, which had to be repaired approximately every

six months, Savage said.

Although the

police department investigated the incident and found parts of the vehicle

that caused the damage, no suspects have been identified, Savage said.

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