Airport master plan nears final FAA review; commission to consider adoption recommendation in September

Agency official reported the airport master plan is in its final stages and that the airport layout plan is currently under Federal Aviation Administration review. "The airport master plan is in the final stages — it's crossing the finish line," the Agency official said, adding staff will distribute a finalized copy before the commission's September meeting.

The plan will go through a formal FAA review process and then be the subject of a public engagement and adoption sequence. Staff said they plan a September Airport Commission (AC) meeting focused on the master plan and will ask the commission for a recommendation to the city council to adopt the new plan.

Staff member said the outreach will include presentations to the planning commission and to three neighborhood associations that border the airport—Semco, Cessna and Morningside—to give residents and stakeholders a chance to raise concerns and offer recommendations.

Commission members and staff noted strong turnout at recent public events and said consultant feedback produced useful questions that staff plan to incorporate before formal adoption. The commission will review the finalized document at its September meeting; staff said any changes identified by the commission can be incorporated prior to forwarding the adoption recommendation to city council.

The commission did not take final action at the meeting; the next procedural step is the September AC meeting, after the FAA completes its review and staff completes public engagement.