Master Plan moves to phase two

The second phase of the Master Plan for Shively Field will begin with a public workshop from 3-6 p.m. on Monday, at the Saratoga Town Hall.

Michael Haak, with Aeroland Planning LLC, and Dave Scultz with Sage Civil Engineering, have been working closely with the Saratoga Airport Board to develop a Master Plan.

Haak said the first workshop was in December and the information collected was used to make a forecasted 20-year outlook. That has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the board is ready to move on to the next phase, which begins Monday night.

The Master Plan should be updated every five-to-ten years, Haak said. It all depends on the availability of funding through the federal government.

The last Master Plan was completed in 1998 and the town has seen a lot of changes since then, according to the website, http://www.saratogawyairportmasterplan.com.

The Master Plan is a guiding document for all future development.

The next step includes facility requirements and development options to meet the needs of the airport in the future.

One possibility is a business park, Haak said.

Haak, who likes to have the public involved in his planning processes, will be at the open house to answer questions of residents who have an interest in the future of the airport.

Members of the Airport Board and council members will also be available to answer questions.

Haak said they will collect comments during the three-hour open house, but comments can also be made through the Airport Board or a council member.

Haak explained the Master Plan will help the town to justify projects to the FAA in the future. “(The plan) helps to facilitate decisions,” Haak said.

In the case of a Business Park, an airport has two types of land - aeronautical and non aeronautical. The business park would be non aeronautical, Haak said, and the town would have to release the ground. The FAA requires a Master Plan with a layout plan to do this, Haak said.

Shultz said 90 percent of the funding for the Master Plan comes from the FAA, while the state of Wyoming pays six percent and the town of Saratoga pays four percent.