Minutes - 19890515 - Laserfiche WebLink

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_..,.~ MR. TOM MCDOWELL, Planning Gonsultant of McDevco, started his presentation by showing the Commissioners several slides. He indicated that the type of facility that is being proposed is a facility that will handle small aircraft, mostly single engine, although there would be some twin-engine activity. There would be a limited number of ,jet aircraft of a business nature, as well as some activity by helicopter. There would be a single runway with a parallel taxiway and an adjoining apron area. The terminal will be a small building and there will be some hanger facilities as well.. Tt would be a reliever general aviation airport for Raleigh-Durham International Airport. At this point, the criteria was addressed. A revised overview entitled Orange County Airport Selection Matrix was distributed. This matrix is incorporated into these minutes by reference. A copy of all handouts is a permanent part of the agenda file in the Clerk's office. COMMISSIONER MARSHALL stated that she was confused about how deeply the consultants got into the items that the points are attached to. For instance, the environmental impact will not be studied until one site has been selected. How do you study these things and put points on them but still not really have studied all of it yet. MR. MCDOWELL replied that they based their study on "known information". For example, in rating for an item such as flood lands, he stated that they used flood maps and "quad" sheets and "guesstimating" the number of acres of wetland impact. MS. BETTY.EIDNIER asked about the importance of the southwest/northeast runway configuration. She mentioned that at the last meeting the consultants were asked to look at land that was already classified in the Land Use Plan for Commercial- Industzial Development. Where on this rating would be the configuration of the runway? Is it still important that it be a northwest/southeast runway or can that aviational desire be ignored? MR. MCDOWELL stated that this requirement is not in the matrix. All of the sites under consideration are in the general northeast/southwest configuration meeting the criteria. Those that were not were screened out at an earlier stage. There, is no item in the criteria for that because all six fell into that category. He mentioned that they did take a look at some additional sites west of Hillsborough. They were not acceptable because of the east-west layout. Three hand-outs entitled (l) Matrix Criteria - Community Concerns (2) Orange County Airport Selection Matrix Summary, and (3), Proposed Orange County Airport Site Selection Matrix were distributed. Copies of these are incorporated herein by reference and is located in the permanent agenda file in the Clerk's office. At this point Mr. McDowell went through the criteria for each site. JOHN GASTINEAU asked Mr. McDowell to explain how the travel times were determined. MR. MCDOWELL indicated that they picked a central travel point by weighting the travel times £rom the three communities most likely to have pilots using the airport.