This County-initiated General Plan Amendment study process, including environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), would be funded by the Mariposa Energy Project Community Benefit Fund.
In keeping with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines, the County has prepared a master plan to guide the long-term physical development of the Byron Airport. An Airport Master Plan, which typically focuses on a twenty year planning horizon, identifies landside, access, circulation, and utilities/infrastructure improvements to enhance airport operations, and recommends appropriate land use “envelopes” for accommodating existing and future airport functions, including general aviation, airport support, and other aviation-related land uses.
The current Byron Airport Master Plan, which was last updated and approved in June 2005, identifies a diverse range of aviation and aviation-related land uses under a twenty year planning horizon for the Airport. The 2005 Airport Master Plan identified approximately 221 acres of undeveloped airport lands for both aviation and aviation-related uses. As shown in the attached figure from the 2005 Airport Master Plan (Figure 4-2, Recommended Development Plan), up to 96 acres of airport land area adjacent to, and west of the intersection of the airport’s two runways are reserved for aviation use to facilitate movement of ground vehicles and to satisfy runway approach and safety area requirements. Also shown on Figure 4-2 (2005 Airport Master Plan), approximately 125 acres of airport land area to the north and east of Runway 12-30 are reserved for long-term aviation-related development. The 2005 Airport Master Plan also suggested that if market conditions were warranted, some portions of the aviation-related area could be developed for airport-compatible commercial/industrial uses to enhance airport revenue and support East County economic development objectives.
The 2005 Airport Master Plan noted that a significant constraint on the airport’s future development is its limited utilities/infrastructure. The Byron Airport does not have water or sewer services, and electrical upgrades are needed to support future airport development. An infrastructure analysis for the Byron Airport is now in progress. It will address two key issues: 1) Existing Capacity: What is the current carrying capacity of the airport’s existing well water, septic, and electrical systems? How much of the 2005 Airport Master Plan can these existing systems accommodate?; and 2) Future Capacity: What is the cost to extend water, sanitary sewer, and upgrade electrical services to achieve the level of development contemplated under the 2005 Airport Master Plan? How can these systems improvements be implemented?
The purpose of the General Plan Amendment study is to consider changes or updates to General Plan policies related to the Byron Airport to support and provide consistency with the 2005 Byron Airport Master Plan and to allow for the range of contemplated aviation-related land uses identified in the 2005 Byron Airport Master Plan. This would entail a comprehensive review of General Plan policies related to Byron Airport under the Land Use, Conservation, and Transportation/Circulation elements. Besides bringing consistency between the General Plan and the Airport Master Plan, it is further recommended that the General Plan Amendment study also address three policy concerns related to future development at Byron Airport:
1. Urban Limit Line boundary around the Byron Airport – Consideration of potential Urban Limit Line (ULL) boundary changes at the Byron Airport that would realign and reduce the boundary line to place approximately 800 acres of biologically sensitive areas of airport-owned land more appropriately on the outside of the ULL, rather than inside as presently shown on the voter-approved ULL map (see attached map for reference).
2. Utilities/Infrastructure and Growth Inducement - Since the long-term development of the Byron Airport is so closely linked to the upgrade and extension of roads and water and sewer services, the General Plan Amendment study will need to consider how General Plan policy changes or updates to support the airport can avoid or minimize growth inducement impacts leading to the conversion of surrounding agricultural lands to urban uses.
3. TriLink (State Route 239) – First identified in 1959, State Route 239 is a legislatively approved but unconstructed route in the California Highway Route System intended to provide a link between State Route 4 in Brentwood and Interstate 205 west of Tracy in San Joaquin County. The Byron Airport is within the general bounds of the State Route 239 corridor. A multi-county study effort under the name TriLink, which is now in progress, is exploring mode and alignment options in the State Route 239 corridor. This study effort includes an evaluation of a connector to the Byron Airport. To the extent feasible, the Byron Airport General Plan Amendment study should consider the analysis and recommendations emerging from the TriLink study related to airport access and future development.
Given the depth of potential General Plan policy changes under consideration, and that prior environmental review for the Byron Airport Master Plan dates back seven years and was limited in scope, a Program-Level Environmental Impact Report may be necessary to satisfy current CEQA requirements for this General Plan Amendment study. This County-initiated General Plan Amendment study, including CEQA environmental review, would be funded through the Mariposa Energy Project Community Benefits Fund.
If the General Plan Amendment study is not authorized and funded, General Plan policy changes necessary to support and provide consistency with the long-range development at the Byron Airport, as envisioned in the 2005 Byron Airport Master Plan, would not be acted upon and this may inhibit the airport’s future development. Funding through the Mariposa Energy Project Community Benefits Fund provides a unique opportunity for the County to initiate a General Plan Amendment study for the Byron Airport without impacting the General Fund.