Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey is beginning negotiations to build a second private jet hangar.
The airport’s board unanimously approved staff’s recommendation to enter talks with contractor Clay Lacy Aviation to build and manage the facility earlier this month.
Residents have complained about a lack of transparency surrounding the deal over the past few years, among other concerns.
Board chair Martha Burke dismissed those criticisms.
“I empathize with the public who now would like to be able to say we didn’t listen to you, but we did,” Burke said.
Board members said the public should’ve weighed in when the airport bought the 10-acre parcel two years ago, along with the request for proposals process that began in 2023.
Federal Aviation Administration rules, the board said, require them to consider new hangar proposals since Friedman Memorial currently has only one other contractor operating there.
“It’s not a question of starting over or changing the procedure and the process,” said Burke. “It’s a yes or no.”
Clay Lacy already operates private jet hangars in southern California and Connecticut.
The company has already provided renderings of the potential facility, which it says would incorporate stone and wood motifs to complement the area’s natural features.
Negotiations will include more specific details, like the total size of the project and services to be offered.
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