Draft Palo Alto Airport Master Plan Report County of Santa Clara, California October 2005

Transcription

1 Draft Palo Alto Airport Master Plan Report County of Santa Clara, California October 2005

2 County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors Donald F. Gage Blanca Alvarado Peter A. McHugh James T. Beall, Jr. Liz Kniss District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 OFFICE OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE Peter Kutras, Jr., County Executive Jane Decker, Deputy County Executive ROADS AND AIRPORTS DEPARTMENT Michael J. Murdter, P.E., Director COUNTY AIRPORT ADMINISTRATION Carl Honaker, Director Eric S. Peterson, Asst. Director Larry Feldman, Business Manager Ken Betts, Noise Abatement Coordinator Chris Nucci, Operations Manager MEAD & HUNT, INC. Michael McClintock, AICP, Project Manager Joseph Ekl, Airport Planner Todd Eroh, Graphics Technician Susan Norvall, Publication Coordinator The preparation of this document was financed in part through a planning grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as provided under Section 505 of the Airport and Airway Improvement Act as amended. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the official views of the FAA. Acceptance of this report by the FAA does not in any way constitute a commitment on the part of the United States to participate in any development depicted herein, nor does it indicate that the proposed development is environmentally acceptable in accordance with applicable public laws.

3 Draft Palo Alto Airport Master Plan Report Prepared for the County of Santa Clara Prepared by October 2005

4 Table of Contents Executive Summary...S-1 Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Background and Inventory PALO ALTO AIRPORT Location and Environs Airport Overview Facilities AERONAUTICAL SETTING Area Airports Area Airspace FLOODING AND OTHER GEOLOGICAL HAZARDS Flood Hazards History of Flooding Flood Hazard Area Building Requirements San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority OTHER GEOLOGICAL HAZARDS Subsidence Ground Shaking and Liquefaction Dam Failure Inundation Area COMMUNITY PROFILE Airport Role and Activity Forecasts INTRODUCTION COUNTYWIDE DEMAND FOR AIRCRAFT BASING CAPACITY Forecasted Annual Operations at Various Levels of Basing Capacity DEMAND FORECAST Historical Trends Based Aircraft Historical Trends Aircraft Operations Existing Demand Forecasts Countywide Demand Forecast Airfield Area OVERVIEW Basic Design Factors Demand Determinants Needs Assessment RUNWAY Classification Runway Length Runway Width Runway Approaches Palo Alto Airport Master Plan Report i

5 TABLE OF CONTENTS OTHER RUNWAY DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS Threshold Siting Requirements Runway Safety Areas Runway Protection Zones Object Free Areas Obstacle Free Zones FAR Part 77 Imaginary Surfaces New Taxiway D Building Restriction Line Aircraft Parking Limits Holding Bays TAXIWAY SYSTEM Runway Parallel Taxiway System Internal Taxilane System OTHER AIRFIELD DESIGN ELEMENTS Runway/Taxiway Lighting, Marking, and Visual Approach Aids Hold Lines Wind Indicator and Segmented Circle HELIPAD Chapter 4 Building Area Development OVERVIEW Design Factors PRINCIPAL EXISTING BUILDING AREA FEATURES Hangars Tiedowns Fixed Base Operations SUPPORTING FACILITIES Air Traffic Control Tower Airfield Security Aircraft Fuel Storage and Dispensing Aircraft Wash Racks Automobile Access and Parking BUILDING AREA DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS GA Terminal Replacement Parking Replacement Tiedowns Aircraft Wash Rack Heliport Hangars ii Palo Alto Airport Master Plan Report

6 TABLE OF CONTENTS Appendices A Glossary of Terms B Land Use Compatibility C Environmental Overview Airport Drawings 1 Airport Layout Plan 2 Airspace Plan Figures and Tables Figures 1-1 Location Map Area Airports Airspace Classes Airport Flood Zone Map Based Aircraft Demand Forecast Aerial Photograph Runway Threshold Siting Surfaces Runway 13 RSA/RPZ Runway 31 RSA/RPZ Runway OFA/OFZ CFR Part 77 Primary Surface Runway BRL/APL Taxiway/Taxilane OFA Encroachments Existing Building Area and 1982 Master Plan Recommended Taxiway G Modifications Building Area Development Options Tables 1A Airport Profile B Airport Tenants C Area Airports D Community Profile A Existing Basing Capacity vs. Maximum Basing Capacity B Year 2022 Distribution of Based Aircraft C Forecasted Annual Operations for Palo Alto Airport at Various Levels of Basing Capacity A Airport Design Standards Palo Alto Airport Master Plan Report iii

7 Executive Summary The Palo Alto Airport (PAO) Master Plan is part of an update to the 1982 Master Plan for the three general aviation airports in the County of Santa Clara. However, unlike the other two airports Reid Hillview Airport and South County Airport which are owned and operated by the County, PAO is owned by the City of Palo Alto but operated by the County pursuant to a 50-year lease executed in 1967 and expiring in As the property owner, the City has sole discretion over the future of the airport. The Master Plan is an objective, stand-alone document that recognizes the City s sovereignty with respect to the airport regardless of whether the County is involved in its operation after Therefore, although this document was prepared under the County s direction, it is not the County s proposed plan for the future of the airport. The Master Plan is forwarded to the City for its consideration and action as it deems appropriate. A companion document to this Master Plan is the Palo Alto Airport Business Plan, which addresses the County's future involvement in the operation of the airport. The Business Plan is a separate document because, unlike the Master Plan, it will be acted upon by the County Board of Supervisors. The Master Plan is organized into four chapters. Chapter 1 provides background data related to the airport s environs and aeronautical setting. Chapter 2 discusses the forecasted demand Palo Alto Airport Master Plan Report (October 2005 Draft) S-1

8 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY for aircraft basing capacity in the County and the airport s ability to accommodate a portion of that demand if so desired by the City. Chapter 3 analyzes airfield components such as the runway, taxiways and safety zones for conformance to FAA design criteria. Chapter 4 examines the airport s building infrastructure and outlines future development options for the City s consideration. In a nutshell, the airport is severely constrained from physical, environmental and policy standpoints. Existing City policy as set forth in the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan and the Baylands Master Plan supports the continued vitality and effectiveness of the airport without significantly increasing its intensity or intruding into open space areas. The Comprehensive Plan also limits the airport to a single runway and two Fixed Base Operators (FBO). In light of these constraints, only minor changes to the airport s airfield area are identified. With respect to the airport s building area, the only substantive question is the extent to which the vacant eight-acre parcel fronting Embarcadero Road should be developed, if at all. S-2 Palo Alto Airport Master Plan Report (October 2005 Draft)