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Airport Master Plan
Latest Updates (02/14/21)
February 18 AMPAC meeting: This meeting will focus on recommended revisions to the Environmental Settings chapter and the full draft of the Alternatives Analysis chapter. Committee members will also continue discussing arrangements for the public open house, which will likely be held in March. The meeting will be held via Zoom starting at 5:30 p.m.
January 14 AMPAC meeting: The Airport Master Plan Advisory Committee meeting will meet via Zoom on Thursday, January 14, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. This meeting will focus on the airport's Environmental Setting (see also Appendix H) and an initial discussion of the Pro's and Con's of various runway and hangar development alternatives (Runway 10/28, Runway 01/19, Hangar development). A no-build option is included with each set of alternative concepts. A meeting agenda and packet will be posted the week of January 4.
Revised Chapter 3 - Facility Requirements: Mead & Hunt has completed a full revision of Chapter 3. It has been updated to incorporate changes resulting from the revisions to Chapter 2 - Aviation Demand Forecast. This chapter was reviewed by the Airport Master Advisory Committee on Oct. 29. Appendix F and Appendix G accompany Chapter 3.
September 24, 2020, Joint Letter from Towns of Middleton and Springfield: The City received this letter shortly before the 9/24/20 AMPAC meeting. Town letter including their aviation consultant's analysis of Chapter 2 City response to Joint Town Letter (October 14)
FAA Approval of Revised Aviation Forecasts: The FAA has approved the revisions made to the Aviation Demand Forecast (Chapter 2 of the master plan) and Mead & Hunt has prepared a memo summarizing the changes they made to the chapter. The FAA-approved Aviation Demand Forecast chapter is available for public review.
FAA acceptance of the forecasts means that the consultant's work on the airport master planning project has resumed. Mead & Hunt project staff are updating the Facility Requirements chapter (to make sure it is based on the revised forecasts) before proceeding with the Alternatives Analysis phase of the master plan.
The project scope includes an emphasis on analyzing the merits and deficiencies of potentially lengthening the existing, 4,000 ft. east-west runway, upgrading the cross-wind runway, and developing additional space for hangars. The existing, no-build condition will also be included as an alternative for each of these three facilities, along with a listing of merits and deficiencies to be used in the evaluation and comparison. The consultant’s work will include reviewing land use plans and undertaking a noise analysis. A financial plan (including development of cost estimates) will be developed after the alternatives analysis phase.
To comment on or ask a question about the master plan project, use this link OR send an email to the City’s project contact.
To receive future meeting notices and project updates, subscribe to Airport Master Plan using the City’s "Notify Me" service. To see past and current meeting materials, scroll down this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Responses to Frequently Asked Questions (updated 5/7/19)
Master Plan documents
- Master Plan Work Scope Amendment #1 Amendment #2
- Chapter 1 - Inventory (October 2018)
- User Survey #1--Existing Users (Summary) All comments (78 pages) (Summer 2018)
- User Survey #2--Prospective Users (Fall 2018) (Note: The City’s airport planning consultant, Mead & Hunt, recommended in September recommended in September that the conclusions of User Survey #2 not be incorporated into the draft airport master plan. City project staff and the chairperson of the Airport Master Plan Advisory Committee agreed with this conclusion.
- Chapter 2 - Aviation Demand Forecast (forecasts approved by FAA)
- FAA approval letter 7/30/20
- Mead & Hunt 9/15/20 memo summarizing changes they made in response to the FAA's August 2019 comments regarding the October 2018 draft chapter as well as to additional FAA input provided in June 2020 (comments, email) regarding Mead & Hunt's May 2020 version of the chapter.
- Appendices (updated May 2020)
- Chapter 3 - Facility Requirements (Revised 10/22/20)
- Appendix F
- Appendix G
- July 2019 draft chapter (out of date due to revisions to aviation forecasts in Chapter 2)
- Chapter 4 - Environmental Setting (draft 12/30/20)
- Chapter 5 - Alternatives Analysis, full chapter (draft 02/05/20)
- Other chapters to follow
Public Input
Community Survey and Public Input: Once a draft plan is available, the City of Middleton will collaborate with the Towns of Middleton and Springfield to prepare a community survey regarding the airport and its future. The City remains fully committed to providing public input opportunities before the Common Council is asked to adopt the master plan.
This section also lists other public input that the City has received (this is not an exhaustive list). Every Airport Master Plan Advisory Committee meeting to date has provided an opportunity for public input (see minutes in AMPAC section below).
- May 9, 2019, open house regarding master plan project: This event at Kromrey Middle School was attended by about 120-150 people.
- September 24, 2020, Joint Letter from Towns of Middleton and Springfield: The City received this letter shortly before the 9/24/20 AMPAC meeting.
Resources related to airport master plans
- Overview of the master planning process (presented at the 4/11/19 AMPAC meeting)
- Advisory Circular 150/5070-6B (FAA regulations pertaining to preparation of Airport Master Plans)
- Wisconsin Airport Land Use Guidebook
- Wisconsin State Airport System Plan 2030
- Wisconsin Airport Improvement Program
- Wisconsin Bureau of Aeronautics
- City of Middleton Airport web page
Previous City actions related to airport planning
- Resolution 1998-20: Intent for Morey Airport Property. This resolution expressed the City’s position when it deliberated purchasing the airport from the Morey family.
- Referendum Regarding Airport Expansion. On April 6, 1999, City of Middleton residents defeated a charter ordinance that would have prohibited expansion of the airport. The phrasing of the question was provided by the organizers of the referendum--not by the City. The vote was 1,281 in favor of prohibition, with 2,326 in opposition. This outcome enabled the City to proceed with making improvements to the airport it had just purchased.
- Resolution 2014-65: Petitioning the Wisconsin Secretary of Transportation for Airport Improvement Aid. The Wisconsin Bureau of Aeronautics requires the City to adopt such a petition from time to time to maintain a list of eligible projects. Adoption of the petition does not obligate the City to proceed with any of the listed projects nor commit the State or FAA to fund those items. This resolution also is not a decision to proceed with any of the listed projects.
- Resolution 2019-31: Airport Master Planning Process: Adopted 8/6/19, this resolution establishes parameters for drafting the airport master plan.
- Resolution 2020-21: Petitioning the Wisconsin Secretary of Transportation for Airport Improvement Aid. This is the most recent "petition" adopted by the City so that it is eligible for potential Federal and/or State funding assistance. The Wisconsin Bureau of Aeronautics requires the City to adopt such a petition from time to time to maintain a list of eligible projects. Adoption of the petition does not obligate the City to proceed with any of the listed projects nor commit the State or FAA to fund those items. This resolution also is not a decision to proceed with any of the listed projects. The petition does not include any of the potential projects being studied by the airport master planning process.
Airport Master Plan Advisory Committee (AMPAC)
The Airport Master Plan Advisory Committee is an advisory body to the Airport Commission and Middleton Common Council that was formed in early 2019 to oversee development of an updated master plan for the airport.
AMPAC (and related airport) Meetings:
- April 11, 2019, AMPAC meeting: Meeting Packet Approved Minutes
- May 9, 2019, open house: This event at Kromrey Middle School was attended by about 120-150 people. Comments provided in conjunction with the open house will be reviewed at the June 6 AMPAC meeting.
- June 6, 2019, AMPAC meeting: Agenda Meeting Packet Video recording Approved Minutes
- June 20, 2019, Public Hearing regarding Draft Environmental Assessment for Middleton Solar Project (this was not an AMPAC meeting)
- Note: This is not a component of the master plan project: Hearing notice Draft Environmental Assessment Hearing Minutes
- July 18, 2019, AMPAC meeting: Agenda Meeting Packet Video recording Draft minutes
- August 6, 2019, Common Council meeting: Resolution 2019-31 (adopted to establish parameters for drafting the airport master plan)
- September 24, 2020, AMPAC meeting: Agenda Meeting Packet Mead & Hunt Presentation Meeting Format / Guidelines Minutes
- October 29, 2020, AMPAC meeting: Agenda Meeting Packet Mead & Hunt Presentation Minutes
- Future meetings to be announced
Other City meeting agendas and minutes are available here. To access past meetings, select "Meetings" in the red band at the top (directly under the city logo), under Meeting Type select desired committee, and then select a Date Range.
AMPAC Membership and Project Staff:
The advisory committee is staffed by City Planner Mark Opitz and Greg Stern, Mead & Hunt, a Middleton-based engineering consulting firm that was hired to prepare the plan. Appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the Common Council, the committee consists of the following 13 members (along with pertinent affiliations):
- Robert Bartholomew, City of Middleton resident who lives beneath a runway approach
- Robert Burck, Middleton Common Council member; also serves on Airport Commission and MADC. Serves as AMPAC chairperson.
- Dan Dresen, Town of Springfield resident and Town Board member
- Ray Fey, Airport Commission representative, pilot based at C29, City of Middleton resident
- Mike Frank, Middleton Chamber of Commerce representative, City of Middleton resident
- Jade Hofeldt, Capital Flight (business based at C29), Town of Vienna resident
- Julie Loeffler, Town of Springfield resident
- Richard Morey, Airport manager and owner of Morey Airplane Company (business based at C29), Waunakee resident
- Kevin Munson, Pilot (not based at C29), City of Middleton resident. Serves as AMPAC vice-chairperson.
- Deana Porter, representative of Middleton Area Development Corporation (owner of the terminal building), Town of Middleton resident
- Cynthia Richson, Town of Middleton resident and Town Board Chairperson
- John Schaffer, Plan Commission member, City of Middleton resident
- Mark Warshauer, representative of Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy, pilot based at C29, City of Middleton resident