Brown Field Municipal Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan

CHAPTER 1INTRODUCTIONyears. The relationship between a compatibility plan and an airport master plan or ALP, centers on thecurrent and future airport layout and existing and projected airport activity.The responsibility for the Airport’s master plan lies with the airport proprietor, the City of San Diego.The current master plan for the Airport was adopted in May 1980. Updates to the Airport’s master planwere prepared in 1990 and 2000 but were never adopted. In late 2007/early 2008 the City initiated aMaster Plan Update process. Approval of the Master Plan Update, which includes a comprehensiveupdate to the Airport’s ALP, is anticipated in 2010. In the absence of a current master plan, state lawallows an ALUC’s compatibility plan to be based on an ALP with the approval of the Division ofAeronautics. In a letter dated June 19, 2008, the Division of Aeronautics approved the ALUC’s request touse the airport operator’s most recent ALP for the Airport. The approval letter is provided in Appendix I.1.3 FORECASTING METHODOLOGYState law requires that a compatibility plan reflect “the anticipated growth of the airport during at least thenext 20 years” (Pub. Util. Code §21675(a)). In addition, as discussed above, the compatibility plan is tobe based on the airport operator’s adopted airport master plan, where one exists, or an ALP that has beenaccepted by the Division of Aeronautics for airport compatibility planning. ALUC planning assumptionsregarding future aircraft activity at an airport must be consistent with the role of the airport as identifiedin an airport master plan or ALP.Frequently, unless the airport master plan is recent, the forecasts cannot be used directly because they donot cover the requisite 20-year period. This issue is addressed in the Handbook:[M]ost airports presumably will remain in operation for more than 20 years. This factor combinedwith the characteristic uncertainty of forecasting suggests that, for the purpose of airport land usecompatibility planning, using a high estimate of long-range activity levels is generally preferableto underestimating the future potential. This strategy especially applies with respect toassessment of noise impacts. Too low of a forecast may allow compatibility conflicts that cannotlater be undone.The caveat to this methodology, as also stated in the Handbook, is that “activity projections must also bereasonable” and remain consistent with the role of the airport as envisioned by the airport owner.Policies in this Compatibility Plan are based on projected airport activity levels located in the airportmaster plan and ALP, and have been developed in accordance with the forecasting methodology guidancein the Handbook. Specific factors considered when determining the 20+ year future activity levels for theAirport are described in Chapter 4. Consistent with the Handbook, the forecast is at the high end of therange of activity likely to be reached during the 20+ year horizon that state law requires.1–6Brown Field Municipal Airport Land Use Compatibility PlanJanuary 25, 2010