Okaloosa County BOCC — February 4, 2014 — Pre-application for Design, Construct and Equip Air Traffic Control Tower at DTS — reading text

potential environmental impacts associated with the Proposed Project at Destin Airport. The Proposed Project consists of the construction of an on- airport airside Contract Tower and access road (see attached Final Focused EA Exhibit 4-3). The Proposed Project would allow the Airport Sponsor to meet the existing and near-future demand for better contro! of aircraft flying in the Destin Airport and surrounding airspace in the Destin area. The attached Final Focused EA was prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Order 1050.1E, Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures, and FAA Order 5050.48, National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Instructions for Airport Actions. The FAA is the lead Federal agency for compliance with NEPA for airport projects. FAA's approval of an airport project constitutes the Federal Action subject to NEPA. FAA's unconditional approval of the Proposed Project as depicted on the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) for Destin Airport constitutes the Federal Action subject to NEPA. PROPOSED PROJECT The Destin Airport does not have an Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT), but its proximity to Northwest Florida Regional Airport/Eglin Air Force Base, increasing air traffic, and a diversified aircraft performance fleet mix in the Destin area has prompted Okaloosa County to propose the construction of a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) ATCT and seek participation in the FAA Contract Tower Program. Okaloosa County proposes to site, design, and construct the low activity, VFR ATCT to meet all applicable FAA guidelines and standards. The Proposed Project site would provide a close-in, direct view of the terminal apron where most aircraft ground movements occur. The control cab would have an eye height of 59.5-feet above ground level (AGL), while the overall height of the VFR ATCT, including antennas and lightning rods, would be 84 feet AGL. The cab would initially accommodate two Air Traffic Control Specialists (ATCS) positions, but would have space for up to two more working or supervisory positions. Controllers in the proposed VFR ATCT would have unobstructed views of the Airports runways, taxiways, and aprons. The controllers would not clear aircraft to fly full instrument approach procedures. Instead they would control traffic visually via two-way, very high frequency (VHF) and ultrahigh frequency (UHF) communications. The Eglin Radar Control Facility (ERCF) would continue to control instrument flight rules (IFR) traffic. Operating hours for the proposed VFR ATCT have not yet been determined. However, the proposed VFR ATCT is expected to operate approximately 16 hours per day, potentially between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM. Destin Airport Page | Develapment of Contract Air Traffic Cantrot Tower Sources: Bing, 2012; RS&H, 2012 | | Project Study Area | . | Proposed VFRATCT Site and Access Road ASH IMPROVING YOUR WORLD 0 250 500 7,000 N eee eee Feet Exhibit A-3 Proposed Project FAA ORLANDO ADO | FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND RECORD OF DECISION The proposed VFR ATCT would penetrate the 7:1 transitional surface of Runway 14-32, the only runway at the Airport, by 39 feet. According to the FAA's December 2011 final determination letter, the FAA does not object to the penetration of the transitional surface given the proposed VFR ATCT would be a lighted obstruction, with red FAA L-810 obstruction lighting, In accordance with FAA Advisory Circular 70/7460-1K, Obstruction Marking and Lighting (see Final Focused EA Attachment B-2 for FAA's final determination letters. Due to the height of the cab, existing trees north of the proposed VFR ATCT would not obstruct the Controllers’ abilities to see aircraft flying downwind approaches as well as approach segments in the Airport’s traffic patterns. Approximately 0.25-acre of trees south/southwest of the VFR ATCT would be removed for line-of-sight purposes. The east side of the airfield does not currently have vehicular access to the proposed ATCT site. An approximately 3,670-foot-long, two-lane on-Airport access read would be constructed from Airport Road to the proposed VFR ATCT. The road would be restricted access, with primarily ATCS utilizing the road and Airport maintenance personnel as needed. The proposed on-Airport access road to the new ATCT is acceptable to the FAA Orlando ADO. The final FAA approval of the access road through the runway protection zone (RPZ) will not be issued until the project is coordinated and reviewed in the obstruction evaluation/airport airspace analysis (OE/AAA). Based on the above information and as shown in the attached Final Focused EA Exhibit A-3, the Proposed Project would invoive the following, connected project activities and components: clearing and: grubbing approximately 2.5 acres of Airport property containing vegetation and trees for a new VFR ATCT (including clearing and grubbing for VFR ATCT line-of-sight purposes); . construction of the VFR ATCT; ° extension of utilities by approximately 3,670 feet to the VFR ATCT, . construction of an approximately 3,670-foot-long, two-lane access road to the proposed ATCT; and . construction of a small parking lot (i.e., 3 vehicles), approximately 525 square feet. Okaloosa County is the Airport owner and is seeking entry into the FAA Contract Tower Program. The County would own and maintain the new ATCT under this program, while FAA-funded contract controllers would operate the facility. Funding - According to engineering estimates, constructing the Proposed Project wouid cost approximately $3.4 million. Funding from the FAA, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and Okaloosa County would finance the Proposed Project. Destin Airport Development of Contract Air Traffic Controt Tower Page 3 _FAA ORLANDO ADO ) FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND RECORD OF DECISION Schedute - Construction is expected to occur over approximately an 8-month period, beginning in the Spring of 2014. FEDERAL ACTION FAA's unconditional approval of the Proposed Project as depicted on the ALP for Destin Airport constitutes the Federal Action subject to NEPA. FAA environmental! determinations and unconditional approval of the Proposed Project on the Destin Airport ALP does not signify an FAA commitment to provide a specific level of financial support. Federal funding is a separate future decision that will be made in accordance with other applicable Federal laws, FAA policies and procedures. PURPOSE AND NEED The Airport is currently non-towered, but has a need to establish a VFRATCT at this time due fo increasing traffic, a diversified aircraft mix, and its proximity to Northwest Florida Regional Airport/Eglin Air Force Base (Eglin AFB). Due to the proximity of the Airport to Eglin AFB, ERCF currently controls aircraft landing and departing at the Airport. PURPOSE For years, the ERCF has managed the mix of high-performance aircraft (e.g., commercial and military) operating at Northwest Florida Regional Airport/Eglin AFB and the general aviation aircraft operating to and from the Destin Airport. However, the AFB’s military operating areas (MOAs) have significantly constrained commercial and general aviation operations in the Destin area of northwest Florida. This has caused inefficient approach and departure procedures, operational delays, and safety concerns at Destin Airport. Okaloosa County proposes to construct the VFR ATCT at the Destin Airport to provide controllers at the Airport with unobstructed views of the Airport’s ground and air traffic. This would greatly improve the efficiency of the Airport's operations and enhance safety for all aircraft operations in the Destin area. NEBC iemaniewe on, The variety of civilian activity, when added to the Elgin AFB’s military activity, creates a challenging air traffic environment for ERCF controllers presently directing the areas diverse traffic mix. Airspace Conflicts - As shown in the Final Focused EA Exhibit A-4, the Destin area’s existing Part 77 and Approach Surfaces create complex airspace that a highly-diversified fleet mix uses. Destin Airport and the Northwest Florida Regional Airport/Eglin AFB are located in Class D airspace. Restricted airspace and MOAs are to the north, east and west of the Airport. Because of the unique operating environment and high traffic levels, the FAA has included the area in a Special Air Traffic Rule. The Rule requires aviation traffic in the vicinity of Destin Airport to obtain Destin Airport Devetopmant of Contract Air Traffic Cantrol Tower Page 3 FAA ORLANDO ADO | FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND RECORD OF DECISION traffic advisories or clearances from Eglin AFB controllers, regardless of whether those aircraft plan to land or are simply overflying the area. The existing controlled airspace requires pilots to contact ERCF before approaching and departing the Destin Airport. Aircraft arriving, departing, and operating in the vicinity of Destin are required to be in radio contact with ERCF, ERCF manages this complex, restricted airspace with special traffic corridors defined for aircraft traveling north and south and for coastal traffic moving east and west. For air traffic heading east/west, the ERCF controllers give traffic advisories, (i.e., the positions, altitudes, and directions of other air traffic in the area that may cause air traffic conflicts). While providing advisory services, controllers are not required to ensure traffic remains separated; visual separation is the responsibility of the pilot or, in the case of ultra-lights and parasails, their operators. In addition, many general aviation pilots are uncomfortable flying over open water and try to fly as close to shore as possible. Further, the extensive military airspace to the north of Destin leads to increased congestion and safety concerns along the coastline for aircraft flying between Florida and areas to the east and west. As a result, ERCF’s management of the Destin area's airspace is difficult due to the “busy mix” of thousands of military and civilian aircraft having varying flight characteristics and operating at various speeds. Lack of Visual Identification - ERCF controllers use radar to detect and radios to issue instructions to arriving, departing, and transitioning air traffic using NW Florida Regional Airport/Eglin AFB and Destin Airport. One limitation of this contro! process is that the ERCF relies on radar to identify aerial traffic. Vehicles such as ultra-lights have small radar cross sections, no electronic radar signal transponders, and their detection by radar may be unreliable. In addition, parasails have few metal parts and fly at low altitudes, making them unobservable on radar. Visual separation is typically used to ensure these vehicles remain clear of each other and aircraft, but visual separation is unreliable given the distance between the Eglin tower and the coastline. To determine the effectiveness of visual separation of aerial traffic in the Gulf of Mexico by air traffic controllers at the ERCF, the FAA's Air Traffic Control Visibility Analysis Tool was utilized to calculate the likelihood of air traffic controllers accurately spotting aircraft based on atmospheric visibility and distance. Utilizing the height of the ERCF control tower, the closest distance between the ERCF and the shoreline, a 500-foot AGL air traffic altitude, and good weather visibility of 10 miles, the analysis tool calculated that controllers could see a single-engine Cessna 172 approximately 36.5 percent of the time and would correctly identify the type of alrplane approximately 0.3 percent of the time. This is far below the FAA’s 95.5-percent visibility and 11.5- percent recognition thresholds. Under the same conditions, an air traffic controller at the proposed Destin Airport VFR ATCT would be able to detect aircraft 100 percent of the time and accurately recognize them 96.3 percent of the