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Consultants brief commission on airport master plan; forecasts FAA‑approved, runway safety alternative narrowed
Summary
McFarland Johnson presented a high‑level update on the airport master plan: FAA forecasts have been approved, planners narrowed runway 6/24 safety alternatives to a centerline shift option and public outreach will continue before a preferred alternative is confirmed.
McFarland Johnson planners updated the Nantucket Memorial Airport Commission on progress toward a new 20‑year master plan, explaining the FAA‑required elements, recent forecast approvals and the process for selecting a preferred long‑term alternative.
Laura Canham of McFarland Johnson told the commission the master plan is the FAA’s official 20‑year airport planning document, and that the project includes an airport layout plan and public outreach. "The master plan is the FAA's official airport planning document," she said, summarizing compliance and forecasting steps. Canham said the FAA has approved the forecasts and that the critical aircraft grouping remains in the same design category, which avoids major changes to design standards.
Canham described a sequence of alternatives considered for the Runway 6/24 safety area and said most options were eliminated; the team narrowed the runway alternatives to two and, after further coordination with FAA and MassDOT, narrowed the preferred runway alternative to a shift of Runway 6/24 along its current centerline. She emphasized that the runway‑shift cost estimate shown in the presentation covers only the runway shift itself and not other potential follow‑on recommendations. The next steps are to confirm a preferred alternative, prepare the financial implementation plan, hold a second public open house and then submit the airport layout plan to the FAA for approval.
Commissioners asked that the master plan explicitly mention recent ramp management work, voluntary noise‑monitor installation and other locally implemented measures so the document reflects recent airport efforts; McFarland Johnson said it would work to integrate as much as the federal master‑plan format permits and identify recommended follow‑on studies where appropriate.
Ending: Staff and consultants will confirm a preferred alternative, refine cost and phasing, incorporate agreed‑upon local measures where allowable, then present the draft plan for commission review and a second public open house before FAA submission.
