Like much of our community, the Heber Valley Airport Master Plan update has been affected by COVID-19. The Master Plan process is based on a schedule that includes public input, public meetings, committee meetings, etc., and it has been challenging for the project team to adapt to the restrictions.

Our Progress

Although the schedule has been delayed, we’re still making progress. To review, in January, the Flightpath project team:

Since January, we have:

  • Compiled all of the questions collected as outlined above and developed answers
  • Had all Q&A efforts reviewed by the Sponsor and outside legal counsel
  • Continued to respond to every question via email that has come through the website
  • Published 10 project updates
  • Placed a banner on the airport fence advertising the Flightpath website and encouraging motorists to participate in the Master Plan process
  • Updated the About section of the Flightpath website to include information on the project team as well as committees
  • Completed the draft for Chapter 3, Inventory of Existing Conditions, which has been uploaded to the Flightpath website and shared on our social media platforms

 

Our Next Steps

The project team is currently evaluating all available federal and local data sources for counting the operations and the types of aircraft using the airport. These data sources will allow us to formulate the baseline of traffic at Heber Valley Airport and from that baseline, T-O Engineers will build the projections for future operations. It is the starting point for the Forecast.

The next steps in the project will be to:

  • Continue developing the Forecast chapter
  • Publish the reviewed Q&As to the Flightpath website
  • Determine alternate formats for Public Meeting #2
  • Provide a draft Forecast chapter to the City, committees, and public for input
  • Provide the Forecast to the FAA for review and approval
  • Pause the Master Plan process while the FAA reviews and approves the Forecast. This establishes the FAA design standards that will be used for design decisions going forward.

 

The Next Public Meeting

The project schedule has shifted approximately 2 months due to COVID and the team’s inability to meet internally, to meet with the City, and to meet with the FAA. We anticipate that Chapter 4 (Forecast) will now be ready in August, after which we will be able to hold Public Meeting #2. The City and project team will make a determination on whether the meeting can be held in person, online, or a hybrid, as we get closer to that time. Our goal is to give the community the ability to interact with the information and the project team in the safest and most inclusive manner possible.

 

Keep the Momentum

To help us progress, please take time to read draft Chapter 3. The chapter is a fairly straightforward look at the airport’s assets and limitations, and will be helpful in understanding how the airport can and cannot evolve in the next two decades. The completion of Chapter 3 means that the first 73 pages of the Master Plan in draft have been published on the website. Despite the unexpected difficulties brought about by the pandemic, we will continue to move forward.

Thank you for staying involved in the Heber Valley Airport Master Plan update process!