PLYMOUTH - June 16, 2026 - The Plymouth Select Board enacted a historic restructuring of the Plymouth Municipal Airport Commission on Tuesday evening, voting to replace longtime commissioners—including 24-year incumbent and 12-year Chair Douglas Crociati—with political newcomers Thomas Bode and Alan Costello. The decisive roll-call votes follow months of escalating community frustration regarding neighborhood noise levels, transparency, and a controversial 2025 proposal to extend the facility’s runway to 5,001 feet. The board’s structural shift signals a clear policy Pivot toward direct neighborhood advocacy and regulatory oversight for West Plymouth residents.
The Full Story
The restructuring of the town’s Airport Commission dominated a heavy agenda of municipal board and committee appointments. Five candidates competed for two open three-year terms expiring June 30, 2029, pulling forward a packed chamber of local pilots, business operators, and neighborhood activists.
Incumbent commissioners Douglas Crociati and Ken Fosdick both made direct appeals for continuity, citing their institutional knowledge during a critical transition period. Crociati noted that during his 24 years on the board, the commission brought in over $37 million in state and federal grants and successfully managed the facility entirely “in the black” as an enterprise fund using zero local taxpayer dollars. Fosdick argued that with a newly hired airport manager onboarding and a critical $7 million runway rehabilitation project commencing, removing experienced leadership would be irresponsible.
