Local airports play an important role in the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of communities. Airports better the quality of life and enhance mobility by connecting communities with business services, emergency response, fire suppression, law enforcement, tourism, and travel. Airports are a critical element of the regional transportation network and must be maintained as development pressures grow and communities expand. 
The EDCTC understands the importance of local airports and the necessity to effectively plan airport area land uses that are compatible with airport operations. On July 3, 2008, the El Dorado County Transportation Commission was designated as the Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) for El Dorado County. As the designated ALUC, EDCTC provides technical and advisory support to the Georgetown and Placerville Airports and the Cameron Park Airport District. The EDCTC ALUC serves four primary functions under the State Aeronautics Act of the California Public Utilities Code commencing with Section 21670 (Division 9, part 1, Chapter 4, Article 3.5).
 

• Develop and adopt land use standards to minimize public exposure to safety hazards and excessive levels of noise
• Prevent encroachment of incompatible land uses around public-use airports
• Prepare an Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP) for the area around each public use airport defining compatible land uses for safety, density, height, and noise
• Perform land use consistency determinations for proposed projects within each ALUCP

Airport Land Use Compatibility Plans (ALUCP)

In February, 2010 EDCTC ALUC submitted an Acquisition and Development Grant application to Caltrans Division of Aeronautics in the amount of $225,000 to update the ALUCPs for the three airports. On June 30-July 1, 2010, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) adopted the 2010 Aeronautics Program which included the amount requested by EDCTC ALUC for the ALUCP updates. The Acquisition and Development grant program requires a 10% match, in this case $25,000, which when added to the grant amount equals a total project cost of $250,000. EDCTC ALUC staff performed approximately one third of the technical work required in collaboration with the consultant who completed the remaining two thirds of effort required.
On April 5, 2012, the El Dorado County Airport Land Use Commission directed staff to release the Draft Airport Land Use Compatibility Plans and related Initial Studies/Negative Declarations for the Placerville, Georgetown, and Cameron Airpark Airports. Based upon the direction of the ALUC, staff executed the action items or "next steps" to effectively address the concerns of the ALUC regarding the Draft Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan and Initial Studies/Negative Declarations. The Final ALUCPs for each airport were adopted by the Commission June 28, 2012.
 

If you would like more information about this topic, contact Woodrow Deloria, Executive Director at 530.642.5260 or email.