COLORADO SPRINGS AIRPORT MASTER PLAN UPDATE
Project Overview

The Colorado Springs Airport is in the process of updating its Master Plan. When completed, the Master Plan will serve as a road map for the development of the Airport over the next 25 years.

What is a Master Plan?

It is a comprehensive study that will identify facility needs and evaluate alternatives to provide guidance for the future development of the Airport in the short- (0-5 year), medium- (6-10 year), and long- (11-20 year) terms. The information identified through the master planning process will also ensure the continued operation of a safe, efficient, and environmentally compatible airport. The Master Plan will recommend improvements in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards, taking into consideration the dynamic nature of the aviation industry.

Master plan updates provide an opportunity to identify and consider strategic development opportunities. The Airport's last update, prepared during the late 1990's, laid the foundation for development of the Airport Business Park. The first phase of the Business Park is now complete, including three buildings and over $55 million in outside investment. The previous master plan also helped the Airport articulate its future capital needs to the FAA and in the past five years alone, the Airport has received nearly $70 million in grant proceeds for infrastructure projects. This Master Plan will seek to position the Airport to capitalize on similar opportunities as well as address many of the challenges that the Airport will face in future years.

What Will It Achieve?

Master Plan Guiding Principles

To make sure the project stays on course and achieves its key objectives, the Master Plan team has established a set of guiding principles to be used during the project:

The recommended development plan should give priority to safety and security, followed by financial feasibility, operational efficiency, environmental prudence, and social responsibility; the plan should be beneficial to all users of the Airport, and the positive customer experience must be maintained or enhanced.

Airport development plans should preserve flexibility to permit changes to the plan as industry and local conditions warrant.

The planning effort will seek to foster consensus among key stakeholders, including Airport users, the FAA, the Airport Advisory Commission, and the Airport staff.

The master planning process will employ a focused public involvement program to inform interested parties of the Airport's positive community impacts as well as future plans.

Future development at the Airport shall continue to be self-funded by users of the airport and aviation system; no local sales or property taxes will be used to fund Airport improvements.

The master planning process shall emphasize cost effective solutions and shall consider the total cost of implementation when evaluating alternatives.

Planning for future facilities will consider the role of emerging technologies and industry trends that could affect the requirements for future facilities.

The master planning process shall incorporate Business Park plans and identify potential synergies between its future development and the development of the rest of the Airport.

Download Master Plan Guiding Principles: COS-MP_Guiding Principles_Final.pdf

These files are available for download in Adobe Acrobat format. If you do not have an appropriate viewer installed, you can download one from Adobe's web site .

Master Plan Goals and Objectives

Building upon the Guiding Principles, a series of Goals and Objectives have been identified for five key areas to evaluate whether or not planning concepts will enable the Airport to fulfill its long term vision and purpose. The primary goals of the Master Plan include:

For the airfield: plan for a safe, operationally efficient airfield that meets FAA standards

For the passenger terminal: provide plans that will help maintain a positive customer service experience throughout the entire terminal complex, from the entrance road and parking lot to the aircraft gate

For land use and access: provide a plan to enhance Airport access and encourage compatible land use surrounding the Airport

Regarding sustainability: provide a plan that is fiscally and environmentally sustainable

Regarding social responsibility: provide a plan that meets the aviation needs of the region in a socially responsible manner

Download Master Plan Goals & Objectives document: COS-MP_GoalsAndObjectives_Final.pdf

What Information Will the Plan Include?

The Master Plan is a federally-funded study that must be prepared in the manner prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The master planning process will include the following steps:

An Inventory of existing facilities, activity, and other conditions of regional interest;

Forecasts of airline passengers, air cargo activity, aircraft arrivals and departures, and based aircraft;

Facility Requirements for airside, landside, aviation-related uses, and non-aviation-related uses;

Development and Evaluation of Alternatives to provide the type and level of facilities needed to meet the projected demand;

An Environmental Overview identifying environmental and socioeconomic issues and constraints that should be taken into consideration when implementing the plan;

A Capital Improvement Program (CIP) that estimates capital costs and potential funding resources for the implementation of the recommended development plan; and

Preparation of Technical Documentation. This documentation includes the Airport Layout Plan (ALP), which is a set of drawings depicting recommended airport improvements, and a technical report containing the logic and justification behind the plan.

Click here to view Master Plan Documents and Resources page

Who Will Be Involved?

A Public Involvement Program will be conducted so that our many stakeholders, including but not limited to the FAA, area military installations, Airport tenants and users, community businesses and organizations, and area residents have the opportunity to obtain information and provide input for Master Plan analyses and recommendations.

Master Plan development is expected to take 12 to 18 months and will follow the process prescribed by the FAA. Airport management and a team from Jacobs Consultancy are leading this planning effort, with the citizen-based Airport Advisory Commission providing advice and counsel. After review and coordination with the appropriate local agencies, the plan will be submitted to the FAA for final approval.

When Will This Happen?

Development of the Plan follows a process prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and is expected to take 12 to 18 months.

Visit this web site for periodic updates on Master Plan progress. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact project manager, Neil Ralston at (719) 550-1931.

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