Airport commission: runway rehab moves forward; tenants must relocate by May 8, gravel strip likely closed through September

Jackie Leel of HDL Engineering told the commission the firm is reviewing contractor submittals and coordinating required FAA notifications for the runway rehabilitation project: “HDL is receiving submitts from them and we're reviewing them and we're also working with the FAA on all of the notifications that we have to give to them before the construction project starts,” she said.

Tom Davis, the project's superintendent, said crews have already staged mobile equipment in March to meet weight restrictions ahead of construction scheduled to begin in early May. “We hauled a few pieces of equipment down to the airport ... so we're ready to go in May,” Davis said. He described plans to take six- to eight-inch core samples so engineers can design a paving mix and base course for the project.

The airport manager told commissioners the construction safety and phasing plan and special instrument flight procedure requests are with FAA flight standards; the construction safety and phasing plan was returned “with eight pages of comments,” staff said, and a safety risk management (SRM) meeting is scheduled for April 15. Staff said apron crack sealing and seal-coating construction will start in late April or early May.

The project will also change airport operations this summer. Staff said the aircraft tie-down area overlaps the temporary runway RPC so tenants must relocate by May 8; poles under 20 feet on a small apron taxiway will be removed, and the gravel strip likely will be closed to operations from about May 15 to the end of September to avoid object-free-area conflicts with a temporary parallel runway. Staff outlined alternatives for displaced aircraft, including space at CAP, tie-downs relocated to the float-plane basin via an Echo taxiway extension, or temporary ramp tie-downs.

Commissioners and staff discussed numbers and logistics: staff reported 16 tie-downs at the gravel strip with potential capacity up to 32 and four tie-downs at CAP currently available. A public commenter, Alex Cook, asked for an email notice so the pilots’ community can be informed and post updates.

Commissioners also flagged FAA policy changes pilots may raise; one commissioner referenced FAA Advisory Circular AC 150-5300-13B, which clarifies turf and unpaved operations at some airports. The manager said staff will continue to work with the FAA on instrument approach approvals and safety filings; staff also noted some smaller projects (for example, apron crack sealing) unexpectedly required 7460 notices and airspace studies.

Next steps: staff expects to resubmit the construction safety and phasing plan to the FAA and participate in the SRM meeting on April 15. Tenants were told they must relocate by May 8; staff said it will email pilots with details and work to place aircraft in temporary locations where feasible.