AIRPORT MASTER PLAN
A vision and a plan for the future
The County of San Luis Obispo is committed to ensuring the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport meets the needs of the region. The County is updating the SBP Airport Master Plan, a 20-year plan for the airport.
An airport master plan is required by the Federal Aviation Administration to help plan for the future and highlight projects in need of future federal funding. The SBP Airport Master Plan provides a comprehensive study of the airport and describes the short-, medium-, and long-term development plans to meet future aviation needs.
The SBP Airport Master Plan process is currently in an environmental determination phase. The airport is performing its due diligence, and anticipates moving to the next phase of the master plan process in winter 2023.
The most recent Airport Master Plan for San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport was completed in 2005. All recommended projects from the 2005 SBP Master Plan have been completed and the County is now undertaking the development of a new Master Plan. The objective of the Airport Master Plan is to provide the community, public officials, airport tenants, and users with guidance for future development of the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport. The Airport Master Plan will determine future facility needs and recommend future improvement projects in a fiscally responsible manner.
The Airport Master Plan includes information on historical and current airport activity levels, facilities, and operations, and generates activity forecasts that support improvements to satisfy demand over the next 20 years. The Master Plan is informed by information and feedback collected from airport stakeholders. Stakeholders consist of the County of San Luis Obispo staff, members of the public, elected officials, City of San Luis Obispo departments, state and federal agencies, and airport users and tenants.
Following the completion of the SBP Master Plan, it will be presented to the County of San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors for review and adoption. Once environmental determinations are complete, the process is expected to take between 12 and 18 months.
What is an Airport Master Plan?
An airport master plan is a future development plan that shows how an airport can meet its future 20-year aviation demand while preserving flexibility to respond to changing industry conditions.
General goals and objectives include the following:
- To enable the airport to accommodate future aviation demand
- To provide a graphic representation of existing airport features and future airport development and anticipated land use
- To define and provide justification for future development projects
- To establish a realistic schedule for implementation of the proposed development
- To identify a realistic financial plan to support the development
- To validate the plan technically and procedurally through investigation of concepts and alternatives on technical, economic, and environmental grounds
- To prepare and present a plan to the public that adequately addresses all relevant issues and satisfies local, state, and federal regulations
- To establish a framework for a continuous planning process
How do I get involved?
Two public information workshops will be held during the master plan process to provide information to the public and receive input. Notices of the public information workshops will be advertised on sloairport.com at least two weeks prior to the meeting, and in consideration of COVID-19, meetings will be held virtually. Members of the Master Plan team will be available to respond to questions.
What is the timeframe for the project?
The airport is currently in an environmental determination phase of the plan. After the due diligence has been performed, the process is expected to take between 12 and 18 months.
What are the stakeholder committees?
As part of the Master Plan development process, the airport has created two stakeholder committees to provide input as the plan is formed: the Community Advisory Committee and the Technical Advisory Committee. Stakeholders consist of the County of San Luis Obispo staff, members of the public, elected officials, City of San Luis Obispo departments, state and federal agencies, and airport users and tenants. Stakeholder feedback is important for an informed planning process.
A Community Advisory Committee comprised of community members and selected by the County of San Luis Obispo will advise the study team of the community’s reaction, sensitivity, and desires for the airport as it relates to the greater community. Meeting attendance is limited to Community Advisory Committee members only.
A Technical Advisory Committee comprised of technical members representing FAA and airport tenants that were selected by the County of San Luis Obispo will advise the study team on the technical content and recommendations of the Master Plan. Meeting attendance is limited to Technical Advisory Committee members only.
Public Information Workshops will be held at two milestones in the Master Plan development process. These workshops will allow the Master Plan team to keep the community informed and involved in determining the future of the airport.
- Public Information Workshop 1 – Virtual Meeting Room
- Registration for the SBP public workshops will happen online. Those interested in participating can register for the workshop up until the event starts, and will receive a meeting invitation that they can add to their calendar. Meetings will be held via ZOOM and consist of a formal presentation (pre-recorded) and a live question/answer session. Participants will then be provided a URL link and invited to visit the virtual meeting room at the end of the meeting. The link will also be available immediately on the airport website immediately after the meeting.
- The 3D virtual meeting room is an online immersive experience that includes the pre-recorded presentation from the meeting, but not the live question/answer session. Participants will be able to visit various stations to learn more about the Master Plan elements and the process. They will also be able to submit feedback evaluation forms of the online experience, as well as submit public comment forms. These forms will be directed back to the Master Plan team.
- Public Information Workshop 2 – Virtual Meeting Room
- The meeting will be handled in the same way as Public Information Workshop 1.
- Current SBP Master Plan Documentation
- Chapter 1 – Inventory of Existing Conditions
- Chapter 2 – Forecast of Aviation Demand
- Chapter 3 – Facility Requirements
- Chapter 4 – Alternatives
- Chapter 5 – Implementation Plan
- Chapter 6 – Financial Feasibility Analysis
- Current SBP Airport Layout Plan
- 2005 SBP Master Plan
- 2006 Airport Environmental Impact Report
- 2017 SBP Airport Layout Plan
- June 3, 2021 Community Advisory Committee (CAC) Presentation
- February 2, 2023 Public Workshop Presentation
