Airport launches initial phase of master plan

HAYDEN — Konrad Larson is OK with the amount of airport noise he hears at his house each day.

“Right now, it’s not horrible. It really isn’t,” he said. "But when they’re talking about developing, then we’re looking at maybe 50 or 60 (flights a day) and that becomes a real problem."

Larson and his wife moved into their home near Prairie Avenue and Courcelles Parkway about six months ago. They knew they'd only be a few miles from the Coeur d'Alene Airport, so hearing some air traffic was inevitable.

But the thought of increased traffic, and therefore noise, doesn't really fly with them.

"My approach would be, 'Let’s talk about this, and how can we remediate it? How can we cut down on the noise without interfering with the flights?'" Larson said. "I’m sure there’s got to be a way."

This sort of input is just what the Coeur d'Alene Airport was seeking when it held its first Airport Master Plan public meeting Wednesday evening in the Hayden City Hall chambers.

Airport leaders are going to spend the next 16 months examining four main areas to develop a vision for the future of the airport in the next 20 years: airfield layout, airport activity, development opportunities and the surrounding growing communities.

Mead and Hunt, a national consulting service with offices across the country, was consulted on the last plan that was released in 2012. Mead and Hunt has been hired to aid with the 2017-2018 plan as well.

“The community has grown so quickly, and aviation’s a very dynamic industry, so a lot has changed since that last one was done," said Mitch Hooper, Mead and Hunt deputy project manager. “The Federal Aviation Agency and the county recognized we need to look at this again."

About 30 people came by the open house, many just curious to see what's happening with the airport. A project schedule on display informed attendees of the timeline, which included the different tasks and plans that will be involved in the process.

Three more public open hearings are scheduled for mid-November and mid-March and mid-June of next year.

The Airport Master Plan will help guide the direction of the airport. It is mostly funded by the FAA with a local share coming from the Idaho Transportation Department — Division of Aeronautics and the airport. It will investigate what facilities need to be improved to meet future demand and prepare the airport for sustainable growth.

Airport director Steven Kjergaard said this is just the initial piece and public comment will be much appreciated as the project moves forward.

"The vision for the airport is that we want it to be an economic engine for the area," Kjergaard said. "We want it to grow and be prosperous."

He said no specifics are available as of yet because that is what is being looked at and decided upon in this master plan.

"That's why we're looking at fleet activities, development opportunities, decoupling of the runways," he said. "Specifically what it is, I can't tell you that right now. But the overall vision is always the same: How do we make the airport better? How do we move forward in the future?"

To access the 2012 master plan, visit www.cdaairport.com/masterplan.asp.

For info, visit www.cdaairport.com or email coemasterplan@kcgov.us.