PORT ANGELES — Will the Port of Port Angeles ask for more trees at Lincoln Park to be removed ?
The port should know by April, Jeff Robb, port aviation and marinas director, said at an informational meeting on the William R. Fairchild International Airport Master Plan on Thursday.
By then, Robb said, the port will know if it needs to reclaim 1,350 feet of runway to accommodate larger jets using the airport in the future.
Lincoln Park evergreens currently rise so high in the runway’s landing approach for aircraft landing from the east that the aircraft must land 1,350 feet farther down the runway from where it ends.
Robb said that all of the 6,350 feet of runway is usable for aircraft that land from the west.
But, he said, this requires aircraft coming from the east to fly an additional 16 miles, which adds to the time and cost of flying to Port Angeles.
In 2007, 350 trees were removed from the park to meet Federal Aviation Administration requirements.
Without the removal of the trees, the port would have had to designate more of the runway to be unusable for aircraft landing from the east, Robb has said.
The master plan, expected to be completed in November 2009, comes into play because it determines how the port should accommodate use of the airport projected through 2057.
Robb said master plans are typically good for 20 years.
The last airport master plan was created in 1987, he said.
As part of the master plan process, a survey has been sent to the aircraft operators at the airport to determine what sort of aircraft they expect to use through the next 20 years.
The results of the survey, expected in 30 days, will help the port determine whether or not the it must reclaim the unused, eastern portion of the runway, said Jon Yarnish, URS Corporation aviation planning manager.
URS is the airport consulting firm the port hired for the master plan process.
In order to comply with the FAA, the type of aircraft that has the most strict requirements for a landing approach and uses the runway at least 500 times per year will determine how much runway space needs to be available to accommodate them, Yarnish said.
Public questions
The purpose of Thursday’s meeting was to allow the public to ask Robb, and representatives of URS and the state Department of Transportation questions about the master plan.
Robb and the representatives stood around the room at the port administrative building at informational posters that explained the master plan and the forecast for use of the airport over the next 50 years.
About 20 people showed up, and many of the questions revolved around whether or not the port would ask that Lincoln Park, owned by the city of Port Angeles, be relocated to allow more runway space for larger aircraft.
Robb said the port’s concern is for the trees and not the park facilities or the nearby ball fields, BMX track, and Clallam County Fairgrounds.
Whether or not the park’s facilities exist too close to the runway, “is an issue for the city to decide,” he said.
Robb said a solution to the port’s concerns could be to replace the tall evergreens with trees that don’t grow as high.
A nearby resident to the airport, Susan Lynch-Ritchie, said she is concerned about the possibility of more trees being removed, but wouldn’t have a problem with replacing them with smaller trees.
Lynch-Ritchie said the trees in the park help reduce pollution from aircraft and provide recreation for nearby residents.
“With no trees, we would have a pollution pocket,” she said.
D Bellamente, who is director of the Port Angeles Senior Center but who was speaking only as a resident, said she came to the meeting because she feels it is important to be informed as the process moves along, rather than surprised with the end result.
“It’s the public’s responsibility to turn out, to have the information, and to become aware,” she said.
“I learned a little more about the process.
“I feel more comfortable with moving forward.”
URS forecasts
Forecasts, created by URS, state that the largest increase in airport use in the next 50 years will be small, business jet aircraft.
Rob Osmanson, URS airport planner, said projections for the next 10 years are relatively accurate.
“Anything within the next 50 years is an educated guess,” he said.
Other forecasts include:
• The number of aircraft based at the airport will increase from 98 to 192 by 2057.
• Passengers using the airport per year will increase from about 30,000 to 40,000 in 2027 and 60,000 in 2057.
• Tons of cargo per year that come and go through the airport will increase from 519 tons per year to 3,822 tons by 2057.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
