Minutes of the 3/15/2002 Little River Airport Advisory Comittee 1. Open meeting: 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, John Ross, Robin Bell, Naomi Jarvi 3. Minutes of previous meeting - approved 4. Correspondence: A. email report sent to Pamela Townsend of Planning and Building 2/24/02 B. email trail between Tom Peters (DOT) and Tim Scully re contract scoping meeting C. brief notes on contract scoping meeting 5. John Ross spoke against putting hangars at the West end and in favor of the East end. He also urged caution in selecting trees to plant, citing Pampas grass as an example of what not to do. 6. Robin Bell spoke against putting hangars at the West end and in favor of the East end. He stated that the road gets closer to the runway at the West end. 7. Susan Winding expressed concern over runoff from hangars putting oil into the groundwater. There was a brief discussion of wash racks. 8. Tom Peters reported that the County surveyor has done some flagging of parcel 9. The right of way agent has contacted an appraiser and was told it will be 60 to 90 days before an appraisal can be done. 9. Tom Peters spoke briefly about the consultant selection process. Negotiations are in progress now with Shutt Moen. 10. next meeting will be Friday April 19 at 9am at the Clubhouse at the Woods 43300 Little River Airport Road 11. Agreed on agenda for the next meeting. Adjourned at 10:35am 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 is one open pilot position on the committee. Please contact Tim Scully if youn are a U.S. Citize, a pilot and are interested in serving. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Tim Scully Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2002 8:08 AM To: Tim Scully; 'Pamela Townsend' Cc: 'Stephen Ford' Subject: RE: re Request for Information to Prepare a Background Report/master Environmental Assessment The Ad Hoc Airport Advisory Committee formed in March 1995 in response to strong concerns from both pilots and neighbors of Little River Airport regarding a wide range of airport-related issues. Our plan was to do research on the various issues, meet as a committee and its subcommittees until we could agree (or agree to disagree) on a draft report for each issue, then hold one or more community meetings until we have heard and incorporated added community input from those meetings and finally present a package of reports to the Planning, Transportation, Health and Welfare Committee. Here's a summary of the issues which initially led to the Ad Hoc Committee's formation: Grading and weed control on the airport - eventually recommended test planting Kovar sheep fescue as ground cover, and recommended stopping the practice of grading the airport. Mechanic availability - this problem had not been resolved. Airport Manager - history of difficulties, low pay, outside jobs The fate of existing private hangars The availability of new rental hangars Should more private hangars be permitted and if so, where? Noise abatement and traffic - community meetings - policy recommended, later revised and simplified Fuel pricing and availability - card lock fuel - 1998 underground fuel tank deadline (an above-ground card-lock system is now in service) AWOS (Automated Weather Observing System) GPS Instrument approach - altimeter setting - tree trimming, zoning changes, road movement, costs - historical weather data - survey of pilots - surveys of other airports - community meetings Movie Company airport use - history of large aircraft flying in Airline service Airport costs and benefits - budget - soft benefits - day use fee - timber harvest - State and Federal grants Formation of an official AAC - surveys of other committees - much debate over composition of AAC Airport Growth In early 1998 The Board of Supervisors appointed an official Little River Airport Advisory Committee, to be composed of 3 pilots, 3 nonpilot neighbors of the airport and a business representative. Since then the committe has worked on many issues. The committe has improved communications between airport neighbors, airport users, airport management and the County. Here is a brief summary of current issues. 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. The stakes have finally been obtained and the signs should be installed this week. The committee is a forum for ongoing discussion of noise issues. 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. The location of the dog park is subject to change after a general review of nonaviation uses of airport land, as part of the airport master plan update process. 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 Master Plan estimated 10,000 operations in 1987 and projected 15,000 operations in 1997. 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. Using a July-June year, in 1999 there were 7300 operations, in 2000 there were 7508 and in 2001 there were 9086 operations (this was at the peak of the pre-9.11 aviation boom, since 9.11 there has been a decline). More details are available on request. 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. There an active debate over whether is is appropriate for there to be private development on public land. 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 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. However, most of the growth in County population is likely to be inland, along the Highway 101 corridor and not in the coastal area served by Little River Airport. 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 aircraft traffic. Here is the Capital Improvement Plan submitted by DOT to the FAA early this year: Year of Funding project description federal local total cost ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2003 remove trees in clear zone 41,000 4,000 45,000 2003 land acquisition for clear zones 495,000 55,000 550,000 2003 Master Plan Update 36,000 4,000 40,000 2004 install automated weather facility 63,000 7,000 70,000 2005 AC overlay all paved surfaces 990,000 110,000 1,100,000 2005 replace airport lighting system 378,000 42,000 420,000 2006 storage building 54,000 6,000 60,000 2007 septic system 14,000 1,000 15,000 2007 operations building 122,000 13,000 135,000 The committee will continue to discuss airport issues and future direction, and we will probably send you an update in a few months. > > > -----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 > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Tim Scully Sent: February 27, 2002 4:11 PM To: 'Tom Peters'; Tim Scully Subject: RE: Scoping meeting with Shutt Moen Airport Consultants Yes, I can attend, thanks. I'll see you there. Tim > -----Original Message----- > From: Tom Peters > Sent: February 27, 2002 2:27 PM > To: Tim Scully (E-mail) > Subject: Scoping meeting with Shutt Moen Airport Consultants > > > Hi Tim: > We have scheduled a meeting with our Airport consultant to develop a scope > of work. The meeting is scheduled for Monday March 4 at 1:30pm. at our > office. We would welcome your attendance at that meeting and it would give > you an opportunity to meet the consultant team. Let me know if you can > possibly attend. > > Tom > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Tom Peters Sent: March 05, 2002 12:01 PM To: Tim Scully (E-mail) Subject: Airport Consultant meeting Tim: Thanks for taking the time to come to the scoping meeting. I have confidence that we have selected the best qualified consultant for our needs. Once we get a draft scope of work and cost proposal from them that fits our budget then I think we can send them copies of all correspondence on the GPS approach and anything else that is relevant. Thanks again for all your help. I will keep you up-to-date with our negotiations. Tom ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ These are some very brief notes from the contract scoping meeting with a team from Shutt Moen. They propose to have planner Maranda Itchner and engineer David Heal work on Little River projects. They also proposed that planner Cynthua Bonura would work on Round valley's projects. Mr. Heal made several interesting comments. He said that it isn't really necessary to do a full Master Plan update at this time, the County's goals can be accomplished by an ALP (Airport Layout Plan) update, at a lower cost. After glancing briefly at some of the corresponsence with the FAA about the GPS approach, he said that we made a tactical error when we listed the fastest and largest aircraft that regularly use Little River. The "controlling" aircraft types need to meet a threshold of 500 operations a year. This greatly reduces the size and speed of the controlling aircraft and probably will reduce the FAA's concerns about many of the trees. Shutt Moen said that they have used a workshop format for public meetings on some other projects and that this is possible for Little River, if desired. Mr. Heal expressed some concern over the proposal to locate the new hangars adjacent to the parallel taxiway. Although the existing hangars have adequate setback for the aircraft currently using Little River, he said it might be shortsighted to forclose the possibility of larger aircraft using the airport in the distant future by continuing to build more hangars that close to the taxiway. He also said that it often takes 3 to 4 months to get loan approval from CalTrans These were all preliminary comments and do not represent policy decisions.