A sign showing the highway exit to the Rifle Garfield County Airport.

Development taking off at county airport

Association created at Rifle Garfield County Airport to oversee hangar subleases

PRESS RELEASE
May 23, 2024

Garfield County has fleshed out a process that allows a new association to oversee certain leases in aircraft hangar space at the Rifle Garfield County Airport. The county has amended its airport minimum standards to allow the tenants to request creation of a homeowners association-style entity that will oversee hangar tenant leases, shaping the process at the airport going forward.

The county has approved the commercial hangar lease amendment for parcel A-3 with GarCo Premier Hangars, LLC. The agreement establishes a commercial homeowners association (GarCo Hangar Association), which has signed its lease with joint liability and agrees to follow all covenants, declarations, conditions, and restrictions set by Garfield County.

GarCo Premier Hangars, LLC, leased space at the airport in 2022 for at least the next 20 years, in an agreement that includes the option for two additional 10-year renewals. The company then constructed a five-unit hangar in the airport’s east development area, which covers roughly 20,400 square feet.

A portion of the hangar space (Units A1 and A2) is being sublet to TH-RF Real Estate, LP, a Texas-based limited partnership run by Evan Radler; Unit A3 is being sublet to GuggenAir, LLC, owned and operated by Daniel Guggenheim, president of GarCo Premier Hangars; Unit A4 is being sublet to Brent Scott Properties, LP, a Texas-based domestic limited partnership; and Unit 5 is being subleased to pilot David McCloskey.

Any changes to the subleases for these units must be brought before the Board of County Commissioners for approval.

“We’re grateful for where we are today. I think it’s been a good process to go through and we’ve gotten to a point where everything can go forward thanks to everyone’s collective hard work,” said Radler, who is vice president of the hangar association. “The HOA that we’ve established is focused on protecting that master lease and the subleases under us are being heavily vetted by Dan (Guggenheim) and myself, the HOA, and we really do want to preserve the culture and the integrity of the group.”

“It’s been a long time coming and the plan is coming together, and I’m glad to see that,” said Commissioner Mike Samson. “There’s been a lot of hard work by everybody involved.”

The county also approved the common interest community subdivision plat – condominium plat and associated resolution for the five hangar units within parcel/lease A-3 in the airport planned unit development (PUD) unanimously, 3-0, in a continued public hearing. It had been recommended for approval with conditions by Garfield County Community Development Department.

“The airport is a great place, and it has a great future,” Radler added.