TO: Airport Land Use Commission
FROM: Dana Morrison, ALUC Executive Officer - 707 253-4437
REPORT BY: Dana Morrison, ALUC Executive Officer - 707 253-4437
SUBJECT: ALUCP - Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan
RECOMMENDATION
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AIRPORT LAND USE COMPATIBILITY PLAN UPDATE AND NEGATIVE DECLARATION ADOPTION HEARING
Consider and adopt the updated Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP), including changes made in response to public comment, and certify a Negative Declaration finding that the proposed project would not have any potentially significant environmental impacts.
Staff recommends that the Commission adopt the update to the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP) and adopt a Negative Declaration. The proposed update would more closely align the ALUCP to state guidelines provide by CalTrans Aeronautics Division, since the plan has not been updated since 1999.
Staff Contact: Dana Morrison, (707) 253-4437 or dana.morrison@countyofnapa.org
Consultant Contact: Maranda Thompson, 707 284-8690 or maranda.thompson@meadhunt.com
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Consider and adopt the updated Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP), including changes made in response to public comment, and certify a Negative Declaration finding that the proposed project would not have any potentially significant environmental impacts.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: Consideration and adoption of a Negative Declaration (see Attachment C). As described in the associated Initial Study - Negative Declaration, there is no substantial evidence in the record that the proposed 2024 ALUCP would result in a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, the County proposes the adoption of a Negative Declaration (ND). The areas affected by the update are not included on a list of hazardous materials sites compiled pursuant to Government Code Section 65962.5. The Negative Declaration was circulated from June 17, 2024, through July 17, 2024; State Clearing House (SCH) Number 1995123033.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The ALUC is the body designated by State law to produce Airport Land Use Compatibility Plans in accordance with statutory guidance through a collaborative, community outreach process. The Napa County ALUC is responsible for adopting Airport Land Use Compatibility Plans for two public use airports in Napa County: Napa County Airport, and Angwin Airport (Parrett Field). The Napa County ALUC is composed of the five (5) Napa County Planning Commissioners and two (2) at-large members with aviation expertise, appointed by the Board of Supervisors.
The State of California mandated that each county create an ALUC with the authority to adopt ALUCPs in 1970. The Napa County ALUC was established in the 1970s (at that time consisting of the Planning Commission and Airport Advisory Committee). In 1990, the current composition of the ALUC was adopted. In April 1991 the ALUC adopted an ALUCP for the Napa County Airport and Angwin Airports; at that time there was also a gliderport located in Calistoga which was included in the ALUCP, however, it is no longer in operation. With advances in technology, changes in airport operations and fleets, and revised guidance from the State, a revised ALUCP was adopted in December of 1999. No further substantive updates have been considered by the ALUC. The State recommends updating the ALUCP every 5-10 years, based on updates to technology, operational changes at airports, and other factors that may affect the value of the ALUCP planning policies.
In 2022, ALUC staff began working on a process to update the ALUCP, with a continued focus on promoting safety between our airports and the communities that surround them. In August 2022, staff issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals from qualified consultants for the preparation of a comprehensive update to the ALUCP and the associated environmental impact analysis. The County received three (3) responses from qualified firms; Coffman, ESA, and Mead & Hunt. The three firms’ submittals were reviewed by a team consisting of County staff (Brian Bordona and Sean Trippi), ALUC staff (Dana Morrison), Napa County Airport Manager (Mark Witsoe), City of American Canyon (Brent Cooper) and City of Napa (Ricky Caperton).
After reviewing the bids, the ALUC selected Mead & Hunt, as the bidder that received the highest reviewing scores, to assist with the update. A contract was signed in December 2022.
The update process involved a multidisciplinary Project Development Team (PDT) consisting of staff representatives from Napa County, the ALUC, the Napa County Airport, the City of Napa, the City of American Canyon, Pacific Union College and Mead & Hunt. ALUC Staff have led this ALUCP update in close coordination with the PDT team, Mead & Hunt, and the Caltrans Division of Aeronautics as well as community stakeholders and aviation/pilot organizations and individuals.
The ALUCP update process began with an Introductory Kick Off Meeting, presented to the ALUC at a February 1, 2023, public hearing. The PDT held 4 meetings (February 1, 2023, April 12, 2023, June 22, 2023, and November 16, 2023) to discuss the specific concerns of each entity, review potential policy updates, propose changes, and respond to concerns of the constituent agencies. ALUC staff, assisted by Mead & Hunt, also held two public workshops conducted on October 19, 2023, and December 7, 2023, to give the public the opportunity to hear about why the update is needed and what changes are likely to result from the update, and to ask questions about how changes may impact their property. Discussion and questions from the PDT and workshop helped shape the current draft update of the ALUCP.
The ALUCP Public Draft (Attachment A) was released to the public on May 23, 2024, and a notice was issued in the Napa Valley Register, along with a Notice for two workshops, one Airport Land Use Commission Workshop and one Public Workshop to introduce the Public Draft of the ALUCP. The workshops occurred, back-to-back, on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 29, 2024, and provided an opportunity to inform the ALUC and public on the specifics of the ALUCP update. The draft ALUCP and the Initial Study/Negative Declaration were released for public review and comment on June 17, 2024.
A noticed public hearing was held before the ALUC on July 17, 2024, a copy of the parcels noticed and mailing labels used for circulation of the notice can be found in Attachment E and F. The ALUC received a presentation from Mead & Hunt and ALUC staff and took public comment from many interested members of the public or constituent public agencies. At the request of several members of the public, claiming that the hearing notices were not received by affected property owners, the ALUC continued the public hearing to September 18, 2024. The ALUC asked ALUC staff and Mead & Hunt to meet with interested parties and stakeholders to hear, discuss, and address their concerns. The September 18 hearing had to be cancelled due to a lack of quorum and the item was re-noticed for a public hearing on November 6, 2024.
Since the public hearing on July 17, 2024, ALUC Staff and Mead & Hunt have received and reviewed several comments on the draft ALUCP. ALUC staff and Mead & Hunt have prepared a Response To Comments document which summarizes the comments received, details the ALUC staff/consultant response, and identifies any resulting changes to the ALUCP based on comments (see Attachment D - Response to Comments Final). Staff had follow up discussions with many members of the public and responded to property-specific informational requests or questions in addition to those identified in the Response to Comments.
In response to these comments, ALUC Staff and Mead & Hunt made some substantive changes to the ALUCP update since July 17 Public Hearing. These changes are set forth in detail in an ALUCP Addendum (see Attachment B - ALUCP Addendum) and are briefly summarized below:
- Minor technical corrections:
o Updated adoption dates (Chapter 1, Introduction and Chapter 2, Procedural Policies), minor
spelling error (Policy 2.2.7(d), updating policy reference under 3.1.2(c) from 2.5.2(a)(0) to
2.5.2(a)(10), update source information for Note No. 7 and 8 in Exhibit 4-3.
o Footnote numbers were corrected on the Napa Compatibility Table
o Update Exhibit 7-2, Airport Features Summary, to reflect the new Runway 19R RNAV/GPS
instrument approach recently approved by the FAA.
- To address CalTrans - Division of Aeronautics comments delete Policy 2.4.1(a)(3) and update Policy
2.10.2 to remove “interim mandatory basis”.
- To address Geoff Belyea’s comment: Modification of Policy 3.2.4 (b)(2) to include a description as to
the purpose and types of each special building measure that can be utilized to enhance safety.
- To address Kellie Anderson’s, Mark Funseth’s, David Gilbreth’s, Mike Hackett’s, Timothy Persson’s,
Steven Brock’s and Rick Hess’s comments, the following changes were made:
o Update Exhibit 4-1 and 5-1 (Basic Compatibility Criteria for Angwin and Napa Airports.
o Modify ALUC Policy 2.7.4 to remove reference to “Compatibility Zone D1” and include
reference to “workforce housing.”
o Add a new exception to Policy 2.7.4 which would allow “ancillary workforce housing”
associated with a primary nonresidential use (e.g., Industrial).
o Modify Exhibit 5-1, Single-Family Residential to remove the reference to “(Low Density
Option)” and “D2 (High Density Option): 10-20 dwelling units per acre”.
o Modify Exhibit 5-1, Multi-Family Residential to allow “10- 25 dwelling units per acre” in
Compatibility Zone D2.
o Modify Exhibit 5-1, Footnote 8 to add: “Portions of a site may have a lower density of at least 8
dwelling units per acre, but the overall density of the site must comply with the density range of
10-25 dwelling units per acre within Compatibility Zone D2.”
o Modify Exhibit 6-8 to ensure the General Plan Designations reflect changes adopted by the
Board of Supervisors in 2016 under Resolution 2016-187 and 2016-188.
o Modification of the D1/D2 line.
UPDATES TO THE INITIAL STUDY/NEGATIVE DECLARATION (IS/ND)
The IS/ND includes minor edits to address changes to the Draft 2024 ALCUP that have occurred since the ND was circulated in June 2024. These minor changes do not result in new potentially significant impacts to the environment. As such, these changes do not constitute a “substantial revision” within the meaning of CEQA Guidelines Section 15073.5, and recirculation of the ND is not required. The updated IS/ND specifically addressed the following:
o Acknowledged comments received during the comment period.
o Corrections to the General Plan land use map at Angwin Airport.
o Clarification on the updated plan resulting in a “net increase in allowed units”
o Changes to the compatibility zones (D1/D2 Zones) and General Plan land use changes in the
City of American Canyon.
Steps Following Adoption of update ALUCP:
Upon adoption of the updated ALUCP local jurisdictions within the Airport Influence Areas of the affected airports (County of Napa, City of Napa and the City of American Canyon) will need to update their own General Plans to ensure they are consistent with the updated ALUCP. State law gives local jurisdictions 180 calendar days to amend their general plan, specific plans, zoning ordinances, and facilities master plans, as necessary, to be consistent with the amended ALUCP. The types of local actions subject to ALUC review depends on whether the local agency has amended its plans accordingly. The draft ALUCP contains suggested approaches for local jurisdictions to ensure their plans and ordinances are consistent with the ALUCP.
If a local jurisdiction does not support the ALUCP update, and believes their current plans are consistent with the State Aeronautics Act, they can seek to overrule the ALUC by a two-thirds vote of its governing body after making findings that the agency’s plans are consistent with the intent of state airport land use planning statutes. The local agency must provide both the ALUC and the California Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics, with a copy of the local agency’s proposed decision and findings at least 45 days in advance of its decision to overrule and must hold a public hearing on the proposed overruling (Public Utilities Code Section 21676(a) and (b)). The ALUC and the Division of Aeronautics may provide comments to the local agency within 30 days of receiving the proposed decision and findings. If comments are submitted, the local agency must include them in the public record of the final decision to overrule the ALUC (Sections 21676, 21676.5 and 21677.)
A general plan does not need to be identical with the ALUCP in order to be consistent with the compatibility plan. To meet the consistency test, a general plan must do two things:
- It must specifically address compatibility planning issues, either directly or through reference to a zoning ordinance or other policy document; and
- It must avoid direct conflicts with compatibility planning criteria.
It must be emphasized, however, that local agencies need not change land use designations to bring them into consistency with the ALUC criteria if the current designations merely reflect existing development. They merely would need to establish policies to ensure that the nonconforming uses would not be expanded in a manner inconsistent with this Compatibility Plan and that any redevelopment of the affected areas would be made consistent with the compatibility criteria.
Recommendation:
That the Commission adopt the update to the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP), including the amendments set forth in Attachment B, and adopt a Negative Declaration. The ALUC is the final decision-making body for the adoption of the ALUCP.
Procedural Requirements:
1. Chair introduces item.
2. Open Public Hearing.
3. Staff reports.
4. Public comments.
5. Close Public Hearing
6. Motion, second, discussion, and vote to adopt the ALUCP and certify the Negative Declaration.
Attachments:
A. Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan Update - May Draft
B. Addendum to ALUCP - Proposed Updates to May Draft
C. Updated Initial Study Negative Declaration
D. Response to Comments Matrix - Final
E. ALUCP Noticing Mail List Addresses and APNS
F. ALUCP Public Hearing Notice Mailing Labels