Date:
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Contact:
Nisha Hanchinamani, WSDOT Aviation Communications, (360) 651-6310
On March 31 – April 1 airport sponsors and planners throughout the state gathered in Wenatchee for a two-day land use planning workshop sponsored by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and Community Airport Association (CAA). WSDOT and the CAA designed this first-of-its-kind workshop to educate participants about protecting airports from incompatible development through proper planning and coordination. Consisting of four sessions, the workshop covered topics such as comprehensive plans, airport planning, height hazards, zoning, legal perspectives, and other related issues. Participants also engaged in hands-on group activities, which challenged them to put into practice what they learned during the sessions.
WSDOT anticipates hosting more land use planning workshops in the future to help various groups work collaboratively to prevent encroachment by understanding the harmful effects of incompatible development near airports.
“Airports by their nature are attractive to development because of the amount of open land that surrounds them,” said WSDOT Aviation Director, John Sibold. “That is why it is so important for our local planners to develop land use policies to protect airports while the opportunity exists – especially in the less populated areas of the state.”
As part of its Land Use Compatibility Program, WSDOT provides jurisdictions with technical assistance to adopt comprehensive plan policies and regulations to protect airports. More information about WSDOT’s Airport Land Use Compatibility Program is available on the Planning page.
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