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Ocean Shores committee advances AWOS application as FAA deadline nears
Summary
Committee members reported that WSDOT and FAA grant steps are underway for a proposed AWOS at Ocean Shores; staff said the FAA grant application must be filed by May 1, site selection is not final, and wetlands/tree mitigation could force relocation that would affect future hangar plans.
The Ocean Shores Municipal Airport Advisory Committee heard a progress update March 17 on plans to install an automated weather observing system (AWOS) and on the grant timeline needed to begin design work.
Melanie, project staff, told the committee the city has submitted a WSDOT (WASHAT) grant application and is preparing an FAA grant application that must be filed by May 1. "Once we have [the independent fee estimate] back, we'll compare it to the fee estimate that Century West is quoting, and if they're within 10%, then we're all good," Melanie said, describing a required independent-fee-estimate review before the FAA application moves forward. She said FAA awards are likely to be announced in July or August and that most of the project would be funded through FAA grant dollars.
The committee discussed the proposed AWOS site, which Melanie said is currently proposed just north of the apron but is not finalized. She cautioned that wetlands, nearby trees and instrument siting could require looking at alternate sites, and that a relocation to the segmented circle would constrain future hangar development. "That location that's shown on the scope of work you're looking at is not confirmed and finalized, but it is our proposed location that we're intending to move forward with assuming it does meet the requirements," Melanie said. The committee asked staff to try to select a location north of the apron where possible to avoid impacts.
The value of a local AWOS drew support from Life Flight. Kyle Mann, assistant chief pilot for Life Flight Network, said a local AWOS combined with an approved GPS approach would give crews better local weather information and increase the likelihood that air ambulance missions can safely operate directly into Ocean Shores. "It would definitely give us the best information possible," Mann said, adding that without local weather information crews must rely on more distant reports and sometimes stage an ambulance at another airport.
Committee members also discussed practical project risks, including a potential need for tree removal, wetland mitigation and the possibility that siting difficulties could delay or alter hangar placement shown on the airport layout plan. Melanie said the design team will vet wetlands and siting during the preliminary design and that the city will document negotiations if the independent fee estimate differs from the consultant estimate by more than 10 percent.
The committee did not take formal action on a site at the meeting; staff said they will finalize the IFE comparison and submit the FAA grant application by May 1, then report back as FAA decisions are announced.
