SUMMARY OF PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT - Robert Peccia & Associates Airport EA/Summary … · SUMMARY OF...
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ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ENNIS BIG SKY AIRPORT MADISON COUNTY, MT SUMMARY OF PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ROBERT PECCIA & ASSOCIATES
Transcript of SUMMARY OF PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT - Robert Peccia & Associates Airport EA/Summary … · SUMMARY OF...
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ENNIS BIG SKY AIRPORT MADISON COUNTY, MT
SUMMARY OF PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
ROBERT PECCIA & ASSOCIATES
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SUMMARY OF PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
Public Involvement for the Master Plan Update FAA Advisory Circular 150/5070-6B Change 2 (1/27/2015) provides guidance for the preparation of master plans for airports. The AC stresses the need for including public involvement activities proportional to the complexity of the planning study and to the degree of public interest.
During the development of the 2018 Master Plan Update, three public open house meetings were held to convey information about the proposed airport improvements at EKS and to solicit comments and input. Each public meeting was duly advertised to the public in advance of the meetings. Despite advance meeting notices, attendance by the public at the Master Plan Update meetings was low.
The open house meetings, held at key stages of the planning process, are briefly summarized below.
April 11, 2016 Meeting. An open house informational meeting was held on April 11, 2016 to discuss the aviation forecasts for EKS. The meeting occurred at the Choice Aviation building at EKS and began at 5:30 p.m. The purposes of the meeting were to provide an overview of the Airport Master Plan process, summarize existing aviation facilities at the airport, and present the operational baseline and activity forecasts for EKS. Factors influencing aviation forecasts, the forecasted change in critical aircraft category at the airport from B-II to C-II, and activity forecasts for itinerant, local, air taxi, and military operations were presented.
April 10, 2017 Meeting. An open house informational meeting was held on April 10, 2017 at the Choice Aviation building at EKS and began at 5:30 p.m. The purposes of the meeting were to discuss changes to the type of airport facilities that are appropriate for EKS based on current and forecast aircraft activity and the identified critical aircraft category. Most notably, the meeting highlighted the type of design changes needed for a C-II facility. The meeting also included discussion about the primary and secondary planning considerations influencing the development of alternatives. Four broad categories of alternatives were presented to address aviation needs including: Alternative #1-Do Nothing; Alternative #2- Build an Airport at an Alternate Site; Alternative #3-Improve the Facility with a Shifted Runway Threshold; and Alternative #4-Extending the Runway to the North.
In conjunction with the April 2017 meeting, a newspaper article about the 2018 Master Plan Update for EKS and its key findings was published in the Madisonian on April 19, 2017. A copy of the article can be found in this Appendix.
November 2, 2017 Meeting. A third open house informational meeting was held on November 2, 2017 at the Choice Aviation building at EKS and began at 5:30 p.m. The meeting was used to present a Draft ALP set for EKS illustrating recommended “future” and “ultimate” facility development concepts for the airport. The Draft ALP depicts changes necessary to transform the airport from a B-II to C-II facility over a 20-year period.
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The 2018 Master Plan Update process and its associated public meetings provided data and input used to develop this Environmental Assessment. The results of the 2018 Master Plan Update effort helped refine the purpose and need and identify reasonable alternatives for improvements at EKS. The public meetings provided an opportunity for members of the Madison County Board of Commissioners, the Airport Board, and general public to discuss recommended facility modifications and a variety of considerations that may affect future development projects at the airport.
Sign-in sheets, presentation materials, and summaries of public comments heard at the meetings can be found in Appendix, H, Appendix M, and Appendix N of the 2018 Master Plan Update (Appendix E in this EA).
Public Availability of the Draft EA Madison County has actively sought involvement from federal, state, and local agencies as well the general public in preparing this EA. This coordination will be completed after the public availability period for the Draft EA concludes. Comments received during the public availability period for the Draft EA will be addressed as required in the Final EA.
The Draft EA was made available for public review online and as a printed document for a period of 45 days beginning on August 14, 2019 and ending on September 27, 2019. A Notice of Public Hearing and Availability of the Draft EA for the Ennis Big Sky Airport Improvements was published in the Madisonian on August 15, 2019 and September 12, 2019. An Affidavit verifying the publication of the Notice is provided on page PI-3.
Printed copies of the Draft EA were made available for public review at the following locations during regular business hours:
Madison County Commissioner’s Office 103 W Wallace St Virginia City, MT, 59755 Madison Valley Public Library 210 E Main Ennis MT 59729
Ennis Big Sky Airport Choice Aviation 35 Runway Road Ennis, MT 59729
The Draft EA was also available for review in electronic form on the following website:
http://www.rpa-hln.com/ennis-airport-draft-ea.html
Additionally, a link for viewing the Draft EA was provided on the “Public/Legal Notices” webpage of Madison County’s website.
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Public Hearing Notice
As previously discussed, a Notice announcing the availability of the Draft EA and a scheduled Public Hearing on the Draft EA was published in the Madisonian on August 14, 2019 and September 11, 2019. The Notice provided the date, time, and location for the Public Hearing and indicated the hearing would provide information about the Proposed Action and its associated environmental impacts and offer an opportunity to submit comments.
Paragraph 2-5.3b of FAA Order 1050.1F requires the FAA to make Draft EAs available for public review for at least 30 days before a public hearing is held. The Draft EA was made available for public review on August 14, 2019—35 days prior to the Public Hearing.
The date, time, location and meeting details for the Public Hearing on the Draft EA was also listed on the “Public/Legal Notices” webpage of Madison County’s website.
Public Hearing on the Draft EA
Madison County held a public hearing on the Draft EA on Tuesday, September 17, 2019 at 5:30 p.m. at the Madison County Public Meeting Room, Madison County Administrative Offices Building, 103 West Wallace, Virginia City, Montana. The Public Hearing provided information to present information about the analyses and findings in Draft EA, the Proposed Action identified in the Draft EA, and to receive oral and written comments on the Draft EA.
Lynda Brown served as the Public Hearing Officer and presided over the hearing. Two representatives from the FAA’s Helena Airports District Office—Joe Nye and Diane Stilson—were present. Additionally, Lance Bowser and Dan Norderud of Robert Peccia & Associates attended and participated in the hearing. Dan Norderud provided an overview of the Draft EA prior to the meeting being opened for public comments. A copy of the presentation slides is
In addition to those mentioned above, ten (10) people including all three Madison County Commissioners and other County staff and members of the Airport Board signed the attendance sheets for the Public Hearing. Copies of the sign-in sheets are provided on pages PI-5 and PI-6. None of those present offered oral comments or provided written comments at the Hearing.
The Public Hearing was transcribed in its entirety by Kim Marchwick of Red Rhino Reporting located in Bozeman, Montana. A copy of the transcript begins on page PI-7 followed by copies of presentation slides from the hearing.
Written Comments Received on the Draft EA
Written comments regarding the Draft EA were solicited during the public review period as follows:
• Hand-delivered at the September 17, 2019 Public Hearing. • By mail to Dan Norderud at Robert Peccia & Associates, P.O. Box 5653, Helena, MT 59604 if
post marked by September 27, 2019. • By email to [email protected] by 5:00 p.m. MDT on September 27, 2019.
No written comments were received at during the public review period for the Draft EA.
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Presentation Slides from Public Hearing
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