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Receive a presentation on the Nut Tree Airport 2012 Master Plan; Conduct Public Hearing on the five Airport Master Plan alternatives; and Consider selecting the Preferred Alternative for the purpose of conducting an environmental review
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Published Notice Required? Yes _____ No __X___
Public Hearing Required? Yes _____ No __X___
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of General Services recommends that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Receive a presentation on the Nut Tree Airport 2012 Master Plan; and,
2. Conduct a public hearing and select a Preferred Alternative for the Nut Tree Airport 2012 Master Plan; and
3. Direct staff to prepare an environmental review for the selected Preferred Alternative.
SUMMARY:
The 2012 Master Plan for the Nut Tree Airport identifies the short and long-range capital facilities necessary to accommodate aviation growth and demand. The 2012 Master Plan also identifies aviation and non-aviation development areas on the Nut Tree Airport and forms the basis for funding assistance by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for capital projects. The 2012 Master Plan is an update of the 1993 Airport Master Plan. Approval of the Preferred Alternative will authorize staff to perform the required environmental review before final consideration and adoption of the Airport Master Plan by the Board.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The update of the Nut Tree Airport Master Plan was funded 95 percent through a grant from the FAA in the amount of $350,000. The estimated final total cost of the Airport Master Plan is $344,910 of which $17,246 will be funded by the County.
The budget for the environmental analysis on the 2012 Airport Master Plan is $175,000 (for FY 2012/13) and is funded from General Fund loan proceeds to the Airport Fund.
DISCUSSION:
The update process for the 2012 Master Plan involved an assessment of existing Airport facilities and preparation of aviation forecasts and demands. The update process also analyzed the capacity of the Airport's facilities to accommodate long-term growth in aircraft activity and demand. FAA Terminal Data establishes current Nut Tree Airport activity at 101,500 aircraft operations per year. The 2012 Master Plan is forecasting that aircraft operations will increase at a moderate annual growth rate of one percent to 127,316 operations per year by 2032. The Nut Tree Airport consists of 286 acres and is currently home to 198 based aircraft, 117 aircraft hangars and nine on-airport businesses.
Five alternatives were identified and evaluated during the 2012 Airport Master Plan update process. The primary central issue surrounding each of the alternatives was the ultimate length of the Nut Tree runway and associated type of runway landing approaches. Information on the five alternatives was compiled and presented over the course of five public workshops. Additionally, local discussions were held on the five alternatives with on-airport groups and organizations, community business interests and operators, local Vacaville home owners, City of Vacaville staff, Travis AFB, the Solano County Airport Land Use Commission and the Nut Tree Airport Advisory Committee. Please see Attachment D for a general list of meetings and the schedule for the Nut Tree Airport Master Plan update.
As a result of the extensive review and discussion process a Preferred Alternative for the 2012 Master Plan (Attachment B) is recommended to the Board by staff, and by the Nut Tree Airport Advisory Committee, and if selected by the Board, will allow for the environmental review process and analysis to commence.
Evaluation of the Airport's long-term facilities, capacities, and demands resulted in five runway alternatives being identified. The key considerations on the five alternatives centered primarily on the ultimate length of the Airport runway. The five alternatives are summarized below:
Alternative 1: No Change - 4,700' Runway (existing length).
Alternative 2: Move Runway Thresholds (end of runway) 200 feet north to comply with FAA safety standards.
Alternative 3: Move Runway Thresholds 200 feet north and ultimately extend Runway 800 feet to 5,500 feet.
Alternative 4: Move Runway Thresholds 200 feet north, extend Runway 800 feet to 5,500 feet and reduce Visibility Approach Minimums from 1-mile to 3/4-mile.
Alternative 5: Move Runway Thresholds 200 feet north, extend Runway 900 feet to 5,600 feet, reduce Visibility Approach Minimums from 1-mile to 3/4-mile, and add Precision Instrument Approach capability.
The above five alternatives were evaluated for merit and practicality and were narrowed down to a modified version of Alternative 3 (the Preferred Alternative). Alternatives 1 and 2 were found to be insufficient for long-term planning purposes and would not provide for any extension of the airport's runway if necessary for safety or capacity/demand reasons. Alternatives 4 and 5 were found to be problematic as they each would require a change in visibility minimums creating shallow runway approach surfaces that potentially conflicted with nearby existing development or geographic features and with City of Vacaville General Plan policy and Airport Land Use Compatibility policy. Alternatives 4 and 5 would additionally pose a significant and likely unachievable cost burden on the Airport and may not be financially supported by the FAA. In the end, staff found that Alternatives 4 and 5 were unnecessary in order to achieve reasonable long-range planning and to provide sufficient runway length that would accommodate long-term aviation growth and address any long-term capacity, demand or safety issue.
The Nut Tree Airport Advisory Committee has recommended a 2012 Master Plan - Preferred Alternative (modified Alternative 3). The Preferred Alternative is also recommended to the Board by staff. The Preferred Alternative is described below and was found to provide sufficient long-range planning and a runway length that would accommodate long-term aviation growth and address any long-term capacity, demand or safety issue.
Attachment B of this report identifies the Preferred Alternative for the 2012 Nut Tree Airport Master Plan. The entire 2012 Airport Master Plan document and the Preferred Alternative can be accessed through the Solano County Website under the General Services Department / Nut Tree Airport: <http://www.solanocounty.com/depts/genserv/nta/master_plan.asp> .
In summary, the 2012 Master Plan - Preferred Alternative includes:
§ Plans for current and long-range aviation capacity and demand.
§ Includes a 200 foot move in the location of the thresholds for Runways 2 and 20, and the corresponding Runway Safety Area, in compliance with FAA safety area standards.
§ Preserves the area necessary for possible long-term extension (2030 - 2032) of Runway 20 to 5,300 feet. The Runway is currently 4,700 feet in length.
§ Provides for aviation and non-aviation development areas of airport property to accommodate future aviation demand and economic and business development.
§ Identifies and phases short and long-term aviation capital facilities and provides for an Airport Capital Improvement Plan (ACIP) as the basis for FAA project funding assistance.
§ Provides the foundation and information necessary for the preparation of environmental review analysis.
The 2012 Master Plan also identifies and plans for the airport capital improvements that are needed to implement the Preferred Alternative. Attachment C identifies the Airport Capital Improvement Plan (ACIP) developed as a result of the 2012 Airport Master Plan - Preferred Alternative. The capital projects identified in Attachment C are historically funded with FAA assistance, State assistance, locally by the County, or through private sources such as in the case of private hangar development or non-aviation business development.
The 2012 Airport Master Plan - Preferred Alternative (Attachment B) provides for the short and long-range growth and development of the Nut Tree Airport, accommodates prudent and reasonable planning including airport capital improvements, and will support aviation growth and future economic and business development.
Going forward, staff will continue to provide proactive engagement with community and Airport stakeholders to address issues regarding any possible negative changes in land use restrictions and to inform and invite business interests to be involved during the environmental review analysis process for the 2012 Master Plan.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Over the course of the last 10 months, several focal points of the 2012 Master Plan update process involved discussions with community business interests and stakeholders, the City of Vacaville, Travis AFB, the Solano County Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) and the Nut Tree Airport Advisory Committee. Review and discussions have occurred with City Community Development and Economic Development staff. Additionally, coordination and discussions have occurred with the Department of Resource Management to align the 2012 Master Plan Update process with the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan planning process. The 2012 Master Plan was presented to the ALUC for information in November 2011 and February 2012. Selection of a Preferred Alternative by the Board will allow environmental review to commence including a more in depth review for consistency of the 2012 Master Plan with the City's General Plan and the Solano County Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan.
As a result of inter-agency discussions there is some evidence, although not conclusive, that the 2012 Master Plan may fall sufficiently below the thresholds established by the existing ALUCP and that the 2012 Master Plan may be consistent with the City's General Plan and the existing ALUCP. The ALUC will conduct a required review of the 2012 Master Plan with the benefit of the environmental and consistency analysis prior to the Board's final action on the 2012 Master Plan. The budget for any subsequent environmental analysis for an update of the ALUCP is $175,000 (for FY 2012/13) and would be funded through the Resource Management Department by the General Fund.
ALTERNATIVES:
The five Master Plan alternatives presented here were developed as a result of the 2012 Airport Master Plan update process and remain available for consideration by the Board.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION