Juneau airport hangar owners say regrading sent water into their buildings

Two hangar owners at Juneau International Airport told the Airport Board on July 9 that regrading and repaving pushed water toward their buildings. They described flooding and ice dams, and one raised concerns about corroded electrical wiring and a fire hazard. Airport Tenant Liaison Nolan Davis told the board the problem extends beyond those two hangars. His letter reported flooding at M-Block, N-Block and L-Block hangars, and in the area between D2 and E1, that had not happened before the recent work.

Robert Breffeilh has owned Hangar 1 for 23 years and pays $7,000 a year for its use. He said flooding began several years ago and by 2022 was bad enough that he had to sacrifice items stored on the ground. He said he never heard back from the airport manager or maintenance staff after showing them the damage, and now expects no response from the airport at all. Grading raised the gravel roadbed behind the building, he said, creating a dam. Cutting down trees removed the gradient that once carried water away. He dug a trench himself, which helped somewhat.

Ralph Kibby owns Hangar 12. He said the alley between hangar blocks rose more than five inches before being paved. The drain behind the worst-damaged hangars has risen six or seven inches, he said, leaving water standing instead of flowing toward Jordan Creek. Kibby asked the city to remove a dirt berm, lower the alleyway and abutment, and restore old drainage. Board member Charlie Williams asked whether improving that flow could let a high October tide back up into the area. Kibby said the ground was four or five feet down and he did not see that as an issue.

Davis wrote that "significant damage to one block of hangars from wood rot, possibly from flooding, has recently been discovered." Board member Jerry Godkin said he struggled with the concerns arriving late in the draft Master Plan process, but agreed the flooding should be addressed. The Master Plan Update is expected to be completed Oct. 15, 2026.

In his Aug. 7 report, Airport Manager Andres Delgado wrote that "airfield staff have also performed grading and drainage work near the L-Block and N-Block hangars, with work ongoing as staff evaluate additional options for improving these areas." The board will take public testimony on non-agenda items when it meets Aug. 13, 2026, at 6 p.m.