What could adjustments to the Aurora State Airport look like?

Based on a new set of scenarios detailed Tuesday, June 11, the Oregon Department of Aviation appears poised to pursue an extension of the Aurora Airport runway despite continual concerns from the city of Wilsonville and other parties.

The proposed options, referred to as “alternatives” and presented at an Oregon Department of Aviation advisory committee meeting, address identified airport needs based on Federal Aviation Administration requirements, current airport activity and forecasted demand. The current airport master planning process follows a years-long court battle waged by the city of Wilsonville and other groups over the validity of the previous master plan, which was completed in 2012.

“The goal is to allow demand-driven needs to be accommodated but also design standard requirements to be met,” said David Miller, lead airport planner with Century West Engineering. He added that most of the demand-driven facility needs will be “landside,” which includes areas meant to store and service aircraft such as hangars, parking and support facilities.

Currently, there are four proposed alternatives for “airside” facilities — all of which include extending the runway to 5,500 feet. Airside facilities are related to aircraft movement, such as takeoff, landing and taxiing.

Miller said the proposed improvements to the runway and taxiway are needed to meet Federal Aviation Administration standards based on current, not forecasted, activity. Needs for airside facilities include addressing non-standard conditions like the Runway Safety Area and Runway Object Free Area that surround the runway, as well as pavement rehabilitation.

Miller also said in the presentation that a runway extension from 5,000 to 5,500 feet is justified based on FAA standards for current airport activity. While the extension is included in the planning documents, he noted later in the presentation that the justified length does not mean a runway extension will be required.

“It is the length of runway that is justified through the facility requirements analysis. That doesn’t mean the airport owner would be obligated to extend the runway; it just means that (the extension) meets FAA standards,” Miller said.

Wilsonville officials have long opposed an extension to the runway. A previous iteration of the master plan, which was nixed after a long court battle, had projected to extend the runway by 1,000 feet.

The proposed alternatives prioritize keeping areas immediately surrounding the runway clear, per FAA regulations for the Runway Object Free Area and Runway Safety Area.

The first two airside alternatives involve moving Hubbard Highway, which runs along the airport, 30 to 35 feet west to ensure it is outside the Runway Object Free Area. With these options the ROFA would extend past the airport property line.

The third and fourth alternatives would shift the runway east, which would keep the ROFA boundaries within the current airport property. The primary difference between the third and fourth alternatives, as well as the first and second, is which end of the runway would be extended.

While there is an additional “no action” alternative that would essentially involve no changes to the airport, Miller and FAA lead planner Tim House agree that this is not a long-term option because of FAA standards that currently need to be met.

During the presentation Wilsonville City Councilor Joann Linville, who represents the city on the advisory committee, asked if there is a point in which the airport would be incapable of expanding the runway any further due to site constraints.

Miller said that for the 20-year period of this master plan, 5,500 feet is the justified length and the runway will not extend beyond that limit. However, he said that question will be reevaluated during discussions for the next master plan in 10 to 15 years.

Miller said a challenge posed by airside alternatives three and four is the reduction of developable area in the airport. One of the identified needs of the airport is additional space to store and park aircraft, based on a projected demand.

The proposed alternatives for “landside” facilities, which include areas for storing and servicing aircraft such as hangars and parking, primarily focus on maximizing hangar space development. All three design alternative ideas propose a similar amount of hangar space, and vary in how hangar space, access roads and service areas are configured. Miller noted that hangars would be primarily built privately on leased land.

The Oregon Department of Aviation will hold an open house on Thursday, June 13 for the general public to learn about the airport alternatives. It will run from 4-7 p.m. in the North Marion High School Commons.

Based on feedback provided by advisory committee members and the general public, revised alternatives will be presented to the advisory committee at a meeting on July 30.

More information about the airport master plan can be found on the website .