Ann Arbor Area Civic Document Repository

This document is a draft of the Ann Arbor Municipal Airport Environmental Assessment, prepared for Federal Aviation Administration, Michigan Department of Transportation Bureau of Aeronautics and Freight Services and City of Ann Arbor in February 2010. It is not a final report.

This draft is 193 pages long.

Section 1. <br /> Executive Summary

The Ann Arbor Municipal Airport (ARB), owned and operated by the City of Ann Arbor, is located in Pittsfield Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan. ARB initiated preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA) in 2009 to evaluate the potential impacts of implementing portions of proposed developments shown on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved Airport Layout Plan (ALP).

The proposed developments focus on extending and improving Runway 6/24, the primary runway, to address the needs of the existing critical aircraft that use the airport. Alternatives were developed to provide options for extending the existing 3,505-foot runway to 4,300-feet, while extending the existing parallel taxiway to the same length.<br /> Alternatives considered in this study included no build, use other airports, construct new airport, develop alternative modes of transportation, and Runway 6/24 alternatives.

The alternatives were evaluated based on their ability to meet the purpose and need of the project, the impact the alternative would have on the community and environment, and other limiting factors, such as cost. Based on this evaluation, a build alternative that involves shifting and extending the existing runway was selected as the Preferred Alternative.

Implementation of the Preferred Alternative would not require the acquisition of land, and no homes or businesses would be displaced. The Preferred Alternative would not impact wetlands, county drains, or floodplains. The proposed project would have a positive impact on interstate commerce to the immediate Ann Arbor area, as well as enhance the safety of airport operations.