Bishop ALP Meetings Are in the Air
Three public forums to discuss Bishop Airport Layout Plan:
On August 25 and 26, Inyo County Public Works (ICPW) will be participating in a series of public meetings to present the details of the Bishop Airport Layout Plan (ALP) to interested community members.
The Bishop ALP builds upon the 2004 Bishop Airport Master Plan, prioritizing several key infrastructure improvements and upgrades discussed in the Master Plan.
Earlier in July, Clint Quilter, ICPW Director, discussed the potential availability of federal and state funding to develop and implement the ALP at both the Northern Inyo Airport Advisory Committee and Board of Supervisors meetings.
Recently, ICPW has been presenting details of the ALP to elected officials, community service providers, and other local leaders, and is now excited to offer a multimedia presentation with details of the ALP and host question and answer and open comment sessions at three public forums.
On Monday evening at the Bishop City Hall starting at 7 pm; on Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors meeting in Independence at 11:30 am; and on Tuesday evening at 5:30 pm at the Sierra Life Flight Hangar at the Bishop Airport, ICPW and Wadell Engineering Corporation, the expert airport consultant in charge of developing the ALP, will make a 20 minute presentation with slides and photos.
Afterwards, the public is welcome to ask questions, express support, and/or raise potential concerns.
“We’re are aware that people have busy schedules and wanted to give community members a few different options, in terms of time and place, to weigh in on the ALP,” said Quilter. “So far the reaction we’ve received has been very positive and we’ve received several letters of support for the project. At these public meetings we’re hoping to hear from all interested parties.”
The Bishop Airport is a vital part of the community that receives daily flights, both public and private.
Originally constructed in 1929, the airport currently has flights delivering express goods and mail, flights for emergency medical situations, firefighting flights, and private flights for pleasure, business travelers and airplane aficionados.
Today, 10 years after the Board of Supervisors adoption of the Bishop Airport Master Plan, the Bishop Airport is in need of critical, safety-related infrastructure improvements. In April of 2011, years of hard work between Inyo County and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) came to fruition with the County obtaining an easement in perpetuity for all airport related use at the Bishop Airport from the City of Los Angeles.
The easement gave Inyo County property rights and permission to handle all improvements and upgrades at the airport and, in turn, paved the way for the County to apply for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant funding to implement the strategies laid out in the 2004 Bishop Airport Master Plan.
“We’re really focused on obtaining federal and state funding for the pressing, safety-related needs at the airport,” said Quilter. “However, we’re also keeping our eye on the bigger picture as we plan these improvements. We want to keep our options open to potentially provide expanded capabilities and improved services at the airport.”
Bishop ALP Meetings Are in the Air
https://www.kibskbov.com/bishopairportmeetings/