Airport boundary under local control

The question of whether the boundary of Sisters Eagle Airport could be expanded as part of a process listing it among the state's "significant airports" has been put to rest.

The Oregon Department of Aviation, acting on an opinion from the Oregon Department of Justice, has determined that setting the boundary is a matter for local jurisdictions (city and/or county), and ODA will only make a determination on listing of the airport.

According to the City of Sisters, the boundary therefore remains what it is currently (see zoning map) and any change would require an extensive land-use process involving public hearings.

"The land that is currently zoned airport is the boundary, period," City of Sisters Community Development Director Patrick Davenport told The Nugget.

ODA will add an airport to the State's Aviation Plan, Appendix M, Privately Owned Public-Use Airports if it meets the criteria described in the statute ORS 836.610(1b):

1. Provides important links in air traffic in the state;

2. Provides essential safety or emergency services; or

3. Are of economic importance to the county where the airport is located.

The airport apparently qualified for such listing years ago, but the original owners did not complete the process for listing.

ODA expects to hold a hearing on the listing - and only on that matter - some time around the end of January or beginning of February 2017. The owners of the Sisters airport note that they have requested the hearing be in Sisters, so that the local community can participate.

According to a statement from Sisters Eagle Airport, "the purpose and benefit of being added to the State Aviation Plan Appendix M is the airport will be eligible to receive funding for the maintenance and repairs to the public transportation infrastructure (runway, taxiways, safety areas). Being added to the listing does not change the zoning or ownership of the airport property, or the uses or activities already allowed at the airport."

Sisters interim City Manager Rick Allen issued a summary statement regarding various issues surrounding the airport last week.

"At this time the City of Sisters has no pending applications to change or expand the current airport boundary," Allen wrote. "Any application would require a full public process that would include notice to the public, planning commission and/or city council public hearings. Any decision made could be appealed to the Land Use Board of Appeals, the Court of Appeals and finally the Oregon Supreme Court, by any member of the public with standing."

The possibility of a boundary expansion had raised concerns for some local residents who say that they have been negatively impacted by noise from aircraft, particularly from skydiving operations that ran through summer and early fall out of the airport.

Skydiving is an allowed use at the airport, but the landing zones that were in use last summer lie outside the current airport boundary and require conditional-use permits.

Allen noted that "at this time there is no landing zone within the city of Sisters (where) landing skydivers is allowed other than within the airport boundary... At this time there are no applications pending that would allow any new landing zones. If an application was received it would go through the same process outlined above, you can expect advanced notice, public hearings and appeal rights available for any party with standing."

There are potential benefits for a property being included within an airport boundary and being recognized as part of an "aviation community."

"We get inquiries almost every week from people looking for a hangar home with airport access," said airport manager Dave Campbell. "Being inside the boundary will protect their properties' aviation use, which is why pilots buy a home at the airport in the first place."

Based on the ODA decision, for any additional properties to be included inside a new airport boundary and to reap such benefits would require application to the city (and/or county) and a full land-use process.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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