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At the meeting of the
Airport Committee on December 10, 2008, it was recommended
that the County seek Federal and State assistance to update
the Airport Master Plan. The update is required since the
major infrastructure improvements accomplished over the last
fifteen years have nearly “built-out” all of the recommended
facility development identified by the 1993 Master Plan.
Given the site constraints documented by the 1993 Master
Plan, no major changes or improvements are likely to be
considered necessary for the basic runway and taxiway
infrastructure in this updated master plan study.
As a result, this master
plan update study effort will primarily be “focused” on
identifying the expanded terminal airside and landside
facility developments necessary through at least 2030.
Specifically, the study will examine how to best incorporate
the ±5 acre Krause parcel into the airport development
plans. The additional parcel (acquired in 2006) provides the
opportunity to consider a new “public access” from Route 610
and the possibility of “shifting” the planned terminal area
to the “mid-field” where more space is available and the new
terminal facilities could be more centrally located. The
siting evaluation will use the basic terminal facility
requirements identified by the 2005 Terminal Feasibility
Study. A final decision for where and how best to develop a
new terminal area complex will provide the planning
framework necessary to evaluate and determine what
improvements would then be prudent and necessary to correct
the problematic drainage that continues to exist between the
rows of the “old” t-hangar buildings.
Critical study items will
also include an evaluation of the water supply and
distribution requirements to meet domestic needs as well as
fire protection requirements. Short term demands may have to
be achieved with on-site wells and storage tanks. Longer
term needs may be met with regional improvements to the
utility infrastructure for the broader Midland Service
District. Likewise, a similar review of the sewer demands
and evaluation of the treatment alternatives (including a
review of the remaining capacity of existing sewer treatment
facility) need to be accomplished. Without reasonable
strategies and financially feasible solutions to meet these
needs in a reasonable time period, the airport simply will
not be able to function. Accordingly, the County’s ACIP
assumes that the master plan update would be sufficiently
completed within one year so that the subsequent
Environmental Assessment effort including the necessary
Phase II Archaeological Survey for that portion of the
airport previously identified could then be initiated in the
following.
Although, an extension to
the runway and other traditional and sometime controversial
major airside infrastructure expansions are not expected,
considerable public interests is still anticipated so an
appropriate Public Information Program has been included in
an effort to keep interested parties informed throughout the
study and provide a means to solicit their input in the
planning process. It is expected that the process will
required 15 to 18 months to complete. Federal and State
funds will provide 98% of the project budget and the airport
fund will provide the local share of the grant.
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