Minutes of the 2/22/02 Little River Airport Advisory Comittee 1. Open meetin: 9:00am 2. Attendance: A. Present Tim Scully, Trey Loy, Susan Winding, Tom Goncharoff B. Excused. Willow Trent C. Visitors: Stephen Ford of DOT, Judith Barry, Will Gilbert, Robin Bell, Steve Schoolman, Naomi Jarvi 3. Minutes of previous meeting - approved 4. Correspondence: A. hangar reports sent to memebers Jan 22 B. Jan 23 letter to Michael Dell'Ara C. Jan 24 email exchange with Keith Paulson re self-storage porposal D. Jan 30 email exchanges with Scott Shepley re dog park E. Feb 2 email from Willow trent F. Jan 24 email exchange with Pamela Townsend, Planning and Building re general plan update process, and proposed draft report to Planning and Building G. Feb 9 email from Willow Trent H. Feb 12 email from Tim Scully to the Clerk of the Board re applications for open pilot positions on the LRAAC I. report of Feb 19 telephone conversation with Dave Thorpe re security concerns if new hangars are relocated. 5. Discussion with Will Gilbert and Steve Ford regarding the county Right Of Way Agent and progress toward an appraisal of his mother's property at the East end of the runway. 6. Discussion of the proposed draft report to Planning and Building. The committee agreed on a list of additions and revisions. Steve Ford reported that a DOT will provide Planning and Building information for the general plan update after meeting with the consultant planning and building has hired for this process. 7. Discussion of the status of FAA grant applications - AOPA article says that funding will be lost if not used by end of fiscal 2003. DOT is hiring an airport consultant who will work on the grant application. 8. discussion of LRAAC's desire to work with the airport consultant and to have input into the Airport Master Plan update process. LRAAC would like to be involved in contract scoping and would like a copy of the scoping document. 9. Robin Bell reported that someone is "buzzing" low over the airport midfield on Wednesday, when the airport is unattended. He estimates this is at 500 ft 10. discussion of the new hangars. Tom Stevens has been working on estimates of site preparation costs for various possible locations. He said that Gene Calvert (Director of DOT) would like to see the hanagrs built this summer. Tom has now added security concerns to the list of factors to consider for each proposed site. Steve has been calling coastal airports to discuss their experience with hangars and is getting good data from Coos Bay 11. Brief discussion of vegetation management. Steve has been talking with various botanical experts and has been referred to Circuit Rider Productions. he's hoping to find native trees and bushes which can be planted to naturally produce a tapered height around the airport which will maximize sound and visual barriers while remaining below the height limit without repeated trimming. 12. next meeting will be Friday March 15 at 9am at the Clubhouse at the Woods 43300 Little River Airport Road 13. Agreed on agenda for the next meeting. Adjourned at 11am The agenda for this meeting is: Approve the minutes of the last meeting Communications (letters, FAXes, etc, sent/received since last meeting) status reports and discussion on: * The GPS approach, vegetation management plan * additional hangars at the airport * clear zone acquisition * filling vacent seats on the committee * FAA grant application status Reports from subcommittees Public comment Agree on a date, time and place for the next meeting Agree on agenda for next meeting Members of the Little River Airport Advisory Committee ------------------------------------------------------ Tom Goncharoff Trey Loy non-pilot, lives near airport Tim Scully inactive pilot (lost medical), computer programmer, lives near airport Willow Trent airport neighbor, non-pilot Susan Winding airport neighbor, non-pilot, business owner NOTE: there are two open pilot positions on the committee. Please contact Tim Scully if youn are a U.S. Citize, a pilot and are interested in serving. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- On January 22 I sent the committee members copies of hangar reports 2, 3 and 4 to review in preparation for a reconsideration of the location of the 16 new hangars. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tim Scully 1/23/2002 Michael Dell'Ara Casper, CA 95420 Dear Michael: I just discovered that I don't have your email address and that you haven't been getting the minutes of the Little River Airport Advisory Committee. I'm passing this notice on to you in case you are interested in serving on the committee. From: Tim Scully Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2002 2:25 PM To: There are two vacant "pilot" seats on the Little River Airport Advisory Committee, due to the retirement of two former members. So far I have seen only one application from a pilot. If you are a pilot and would like to do some comunity service to support the airport, please contact me, I can give you an application form. The committee meets monthly, usually on the third Friday of each month from 9am to 11am at the Clubhouse at The Woods, near the airport. Members of the committee should be prepared to research and work on the issues before the committee. The process requires patience and good humor from all involved. Each issue is discussed from every point of view and this can be a time consuming process. There are 4 non-pilot seats and 3 pilot seats on the committee. Members of the committee are appointed by the Board of Supervisors. The committee has no budget and is unpaid. It raises funds for its own expenses. Members of the committee must be US citizens and should be registered voters in Mendocino County. Tim Scully Chair, LRAAC --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Tim Scully Sent: January 24, 2002 10:06 AM To: 'Keith Paulson'; Tim Scully Subject: RE: 12/14/2001 AAC minutes. 2/15/2002 AAC agenda I don't think I'll get my medical back, the FAA seems to be firm about not liking implanted defibrillators. So I am closely following the Sport Pilot proposal with the hope that it will materialize eventually. Otherwise I'll have to resort to a Part 103 ultralight, but I'd really rather fly a real airplane that can go places and take a passenger legally. The Sport Pilot proposal will do that if it survives in its current form. I'm guessing it will be quite a while before we can get back to nonaviation uses. The Department of Transportation is extremely resource-constrained and we have them maxed out with the block of 16 new hangars and the vegetation management plan (which should eventually get the trees out of the way of a GPS approach). But I am very hopeful that a master Plan revision will be happening and we will discuss all of the proposed nonaviation uses as part of that process. I can't hold out much hope of it being very soon though - the wheels grind exceedingly slow but exceedingly fine. I'm glad that you haven't given up on the idea and I will be sure to notify you when we get to work on the general issue of all nonaviation uses. If you have no objection, this email thread will be read at the committee's next meeting, which will remind the members of your continued interest. Tim > -----Original Message----- > From: Keith Paulson > Sent: January 24, 2002 9:54 AM > To: tim.scully > Subject: RE: 12/14/2001 AAC minutes. 2/15/2002 AAC agenda > > > Hi Tim, > Sorry to read you're not flying. I hope it's temporary. I haven't seen > any reference to my mini storage proposal for some time. I would like > to see it on the "consideration" list. A lot of time has gone by since > I first suggested this use of some of the non aviation use land. It is > a potential source of income for the county. Even at $15-20 thousand > per in land lease revenue, the last 12 years would have brought the > county significant dollars. I continue to believe it is a good idea. > How can we get it moving? > > Keith > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Tim Scully Sent: January 31, 2002 5:25 AM To: 'Scott Shepley'; Tim Scully Subject: RE: dog park Ok, I am attaching the minutes of the meetings (1/19/2001, 2/16/2001, 3/16/2001, 4/20/2001, 5/18/2001, 7/20/2001 and 8/17/2001) at which the dog park was discussed. These are simple text files. The agendas for these meetings were posted in the Albion and Little River post offices as well as at the airport. I also see that the committe's dog park debates were reported extensively in the local newpaper. The Mendocino Beacon ran articles on this on 2/22/2001, 5/10/2001 and 10/25/2001. > -----Original Message----- > From: Scott Shepley > Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 8:10 PM > To: tim.scully > Subject: Re: dog park > > > Could you send me the whole history or tell me were to get > it. Im a dog owner and have no interest in a park and cant > for the life of see a reason for one. I have neighbors that > feel the same way. I just caught wind of this a little while > back and didn't know that it was so far along. It seems that > the home owners that would be so affected by this would be > notified by mail. > > tim.scully wrote: > > > I didn't send you the whole history of the dog park issue, > I just sent you the last report which gave the status you > requested. A series of meetings (which were open to the > public) were held to discuss this issue. > > > > The airport is on 572 acres of County land and uses only a > relatively small part of that land. There have been a number > of proposals for uses of the parts of the airport which are > designated for nonaviation use. The dog park committee was > very well organized and agressive and was able to secure > approval for their proposal. There are a large number of dog > owners who want such a park and they prepared a well thought > out proposal for their project. > > > > The Airport committee and County are keenly aware of the > traffic and noise issues on Airport Road and these are always > considered when any use of airport land is proposed. > > > > At some point in the future there will be further meetings > to discuss the other proposed nonaviation uses of the > airport. I'll put you on the email list, you'll see the > agenda items when they come up. You are alway welcome to > attend any of the airport committee's meetings. > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Scott Shepley > > > Sent: January 30, 2002 2:32 PM > > > To: scully > > > Subject: dog park > > > > > > > > > Hi Tim, Thanks for sending me the info on the dog park. I > > > would like to > > > be on the email list for the AAC agendas and minutes. > > > > > > I must have mist something in all this paperwork. Could you > > > tell me why > > > we would want a dog park at the airport? We live on Airport > > > Rd. next to > > > the golf course and are concerned with the car noise that > > > will be added > > > to an already busy street. > > > > > > Thanks, > > > Scott Shepley > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: willowt Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2002 5:10 PM To: tim.scully Subject: Re: change in date of February AAC meeting! Thanks Tim. I still will not be able to attend since I will still be in Kaua'i. Thanks for the update. I have been getting the minutes and reading them. I use the computer at the library one hour per week, so things take a little time. Much aloha to you and the other committee members. Willow > The Woods has scheduled a meeting which conflicts with our planned February > 15 Little River Airport Advisory Committee meeting. Our meeting has been > rescheduled to the following Friday, February 22 from 9am to 11am at > the Lodge at the Woods. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2/8/2002 Dear Committee members: I'm writing to give you advance warning that Planning and Building needs a preliminary response to their questions at the end of our next meeting. I'm also reminding you that you next meeting was rescheduled at the Woods' request to Friday Feb 22 at 9am. I don't want us to get into Brown Act problems by having a "meeting" by mail. But I think I can safely share with you some of the thoughts I've had so far regarding this request. I'm appended them after the email trail with PBS. > -----Original Message----- > From: Pamela Townsend > Sent: January 24, 2002 5:31 PM > To: tim.scully > Subject: RE: re Request for Information to Prepare a Background > Report/master Environmental Assessment > > > Tim, > Our primary interest at this time is receiving documents and information > addressing the existing conditions, and secondarily identifying future > needs and issues. Later we will seek broad community input on issues and > compare what we think we know with what the community says. > In short, yes we can get information on the airport from DOT, if you have > information on your general direction/issues, that would be useful in the > next month. If you would like to continue to work on a more detailed > analysis of future needs and issues and provide them in the next few months, you > will not be behind the curve. Pam > > -----Original Message----- > From: tim.scully > Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2002 4:51 PM > To: townsenp; tim.scully > Subject: RE: re Request for Information to Prepare a Background > Report/master Environmental Assessment > > > I think the information the LRAAC can best supply will be the community > concerns. DOT will most likely provide the other data. We'll certainly > *start* addressing the issues at out next meeting but it may take us more > than one meeting to agree on the set of community issues. Do we have as much > as 2 or 3 months in which to reach agreement on these? Is there a hard > headline to work against? > > Thank you. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Pamela Townsend > > Sent: January 24, 2002 4:23 PM > > To: tim.scully > > Subject: RE: re Request for Information to Prepare a Background > > Report/master Environmental Assessment > > > > > > Tim, > > Our consultants have begun assembling data. This effort will be ongoing for > > several months. IF these matters can be addressed at your next meeting, we > > will forward the material when received. In the meantime, let me know if > > you have any other questions. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: tim.scully> > > > Subject: re Request for Information to Prepare a Background > > Report/master Environmental Assessment > > > > > > I'm writing in response to the questionnaire sent by PBS to the Little > > River Airport Advisory Committee regarding the County General Plan Update > > process. > > > > The committee wasn't able to agendize this issue in time for our January > > meeting, but we plan to more formally discuss it in February. > > Meanwhile I have been authorized to be your contact person. I prefer to > > use email for future communications, but I'm providing all the requested > > contatct data: > > > > Little River Airport Advisory Committee > > Tim Scully, Chair > > > > > > Can you give the committee an idea of how much time we have in which to > > gather information for you? We assumed that the February 15 deadline was > > only for provising a contact person. > > > > Thank you. > > > I'm hoping we will be able to rely on DOT to provide the "existing condition" technical data. We can describe the currently pending projects and issues with a brief status on each. Perhaps something like: Noise Abatement Policy ---------------------- Noise complaints from neighbors of the airport were one of the driving forces beind the formation of an airport committee. A Noise Abatement Policy was developed and adopted by late 1996. Several signs which are part of this policy still need to be installed. The signs have been sitting in the airport office waiting for "frangible" stakes to be obtained for properly mounting them. Additional hangars ------------------ In late 2000 DOT solicited up to 16 deposits from pilots interested in renting a County-owned hangar at Little River. All 16 deposits were received by early 2001 and more pilots expressed a serious interest. DOT is in the process of hiring an aviation consultant to help them get a CalTrans low interest loan to build the 16 hangars adjacent to the taxiway. GPS and Vegetation Management Plan ----------------------------------- In early 1998 the BOS approved the LRAAC recommendation to ask the FAA to implement nonprecison GPS instrument approach procedures at Little River Airport. DOT wrote to the FAA and made this request. The FAA wrote back asking, among other things, about obstructions at the airport. The Little River Airport Pilot's Association surveyed the height and location of a sample (695) of trees on and near the airport and reported that many of them are penetrating the FAA's height limits and the County height zoning ordinance. A letter was sent by DOT to the FAA including this report and stating that the County would like the GPS approach to move forward while the County develops a plan for the trees. The FAA has indicated that the GPS approach will not move forward until the trees have been addressed. Neighbors of the airport have expressed several concerns over tree cutting: - changes in wind patterns are likely to cause more off-airport trees to be blown down - the last time trees were cut on the airport, neighbors reported an increase in silting and turbidity in their well water - concern over increased noise impact with fewer trees to act as a buffer DOT is in the process of hiring an aviation consultant to aid in the process of developing a comprehensive vegatation management plan for the airport. clear zone acquisition ---------------------- The 1990 Airport Master Plan identified parcels of land which should be acquired to secure the runway safety area and clear zones. The Master Plan suggested land swaps, trading land to the South of the runway which is not needed for airport purposes for the land needed at the end of the runway. In 2001 DOT began investigating the acquisition of parcel 9 at the East end of the runway. A right of way agent is negotiating with the land owner to gain access for an appraiser. Dog Park -------- In late 2000 a citizens group approached the LRAAC with a proposal for establising a dog park on airport land. After many meetings and discussions of the issue, the LRAAC recomended that the County allow a dog park to be established on about 4 acres of nonaviation airport land northeast of the runway. The Public Resources committee approved this recommendation with some limitations. Airport Master Plan Update -------------------------- For several years the LRAAC has discussed updating the Little River Airport Master Plan and has proposed to DOT that it can help with this process. DOT is in the process of hiring an aviation consultant to aid in the Master Plan update process. FUTURE OF THE AIRPORT ===================== The existing Airport Master Plan made estimates of traffic and airport growth which appear to be excessive. The LRAAC has arrived at an estimate of current airport traffic using several methods and found the current traffic level to be lower than the 1990 estimate and far lower than the 1990 projection for the year 2000. The community consensus seems to be clear. Carefully controlled growth is desired, preserving the rural residental character of the neighborhood. This implies careful control of urbanization of the airport surroundings as well as control of growth of the airport itself. Limited road capacity, limited water and septic capacity and noise concerns are all factors frequently raised when any new use of airport land (either aviation or nonavaition) is proposed. There have been several proposals for nonaviation uses of nonaviation land on the airport, including light commercial such as a self-storage facility and recreational such as a park, bicycle or horseback trails. The committe plans to investigate all proposed nonaviation uses as part of the Airport Master Plan update process. It appears that the most likely future for the airport over the next 20 years will be roughly a continuation of the previous 10 year's trend. In 20 years traffic may have increased roughly in proportion to population growth in the area. Unless there is a major population explosion and a drastic change in the character of the community, airline service seems unlikely. The population of Mendocino County in 1980 was 66,730 in 1980, 80,345 in 1990 and 86,265 in 2000. Thus it seems reasonable to expect growth in the 10 to 20% range over the next 20 years. It is possible that another block of hangars may be needed. There is room at the other end of the taxiway for another group of 16 hanagrs, if the need arises. Sometime in the next 10 years the runway will need an overlay. It seems likely that the runway will be narrowed at this time since the FAA is unwilling to fund paving a very wide runway at a airport without regular large airfcarft traffic. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: willowt Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2002 4:51 PM To: tim.scully Subject: Re: rough draft minutes of 1/18/2002 AAC meeting, old hangar reports Tim! Aloha to you and all the committee members. My plans have changed again and I won't be returning to the mainland until March 22, 2002. I had to extend my trip to deal with some business here. Sorry. Thank you for sending me the minutes. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Tim Scully Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2002 6:36 PM To: Tim Scully; 'Janelle Rau' Subject: Airport Advisory Committee applications I'm forwarding another application from a pilot interested in the open pilot positions on the Little River Airport Advisory Committee. This application is from Dennis Vest. I'm putting it into US Mail to you in the morning. I also sent you an application from Steve Schoolman a while ago. Have you received any other pilot applications? Do you know when the Board may have time to make appointments to the committee? Thank you for all of your help! Respectfully Yours, Tim Scully, Ph.D. Chair, LRAAC ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- On Tuesday February 19 I spoke with Dave Thorpe, the airport supervisor. He reported that 4 prospective hangar renters have spoken to him, expressing deep concern over the possible relocation of the 16 new hangars to the East end of the taxiway. The concera they expressed was security. They said that it would be much easier to vandels to gain access to their hangars without Dave being aware - they could get to them from Albion Airport Road without passing the airport office, and the hangars will be out of sight of the office. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------