City staff and consultant present McMinnville Airport master plan; apron expansion and hangar land identified

Willie Williamson, the City of McMinnville airport administrator, and Century West planners presented a draft airport master plan at the City Council work session. The plan compiles FAA‑required analysis and an airport layout plan and lays out a 20‑year capital improvement program intended to preserve runway capacity and add aircraft parking and commercial hangar opportunities.

Why it matters: the master plan sets the airport layout plan required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to qualify for federal airport improvement funding, identifies land available for aviation‑oriented business and suggests where the city and private operators could locate new hangars, a future fixed‑base operator (FBO) facility, and transient business‑jet parking that the airport currently lacks.

Key points from the presentation

- Airfield condition and standards: Century West found the primary runway, taxiways and other airfield components generally meet current FAA design standards and that the airport’s existing airfield capacity should accommodate projected demand over the 20‑year planning period.

- Demand for aircraft parking and hangars: the consultant identified a high priority need for additional transient parking for larger business aircraft and additional commercial hangar space for maintenance, flight schools and aviation businesses. The plan describes incremental options to expand the main apron and add aircraft parking without disrupting fuel access.

- West terminal area and Innovation Campus interface: the draft plan shows an opportunity on undeveloped airport land adjacent to Galen McBee Park to add hangars and apron area that could provide direct air access near the Innovation Campus. Century West noted that an existing Armory Road connection or similar roadway would need to be vacated or reconfigured because roadways may not cross taxiways under FAA guidance; staff said alternative access could be coordinated with Innovation Campus planning.

- Near‑term CIP and FAA funding: Century West presented a near‑term capital program of projects (about $4.8 million in the near term in the draft list) that includes perimeter fencing completion, a new wind cone, runway/taxiway edge lighting for Runway 4/22, and pavement rehabilitation. Attendance noted that FAA typically provides about 90% of funding for eligible airfield projects and Oregon Department of Aviation programs can also contribute.

- Process and next steps: the master plan and airport layout plan drawings will be issued as a draft, posted for public/advisory‑committee comment, and then submitted to the FAA for technical review. Century West said FAA review of the airport layout plan can require coordination with multiple FAA offices and typically takes 45–90 days. The ALP (airport layout plan) will require city and FAA signatures when complete.

Questions from councilors

Councilor Chenoweth asked whether an airport business plan is also in development; City staff indicated a business plan is not part of this master‑plan effort but the City Manager and staff plan to ask a future airport manager to pursue a business plan covering land‑leasing and tenant strategy. Councilor Peralta asked about FAA match rates and the former Comcast building; staff said FAA funding is commonly about 90% and the former Comcast building remains city property and is leasable in its current condition.

What’s next: Century West will finalize the draft report and ALP sheets, staff will post the draft, collect advisory‑committee and public input, submit the ALP and report to FAA for review, and return to council with updated materials and implementation steps.