Planning Process

The Initiation and the Study stages are the pre-planning elements of the Master Plan, and they are critical in defining the nature of the Master Plan. During the Initiation stage, Staff and the Staff Advisory Committee developed the proposed project scope, goals and objectives for Council’s consideration. They also identified several issues that the Master Plan should resolve.

The Study stage is the second part of the pre-planning process. The basic intent of the study is preliminary evaluation of the existing airport condition and retrieving and analyzing related documents.

Data Collection, Inventory and Existing Conditions are important steps in preparing the Airport Master Plan. Information gathered during this phase is a key factor in delineating the Airport’s Development Concept and Alternatives (Stage 6). Information is collected on existing airport facilities and operations. Also, local economic and demographic data is collected to define local growth trends.

The demands and forecasting are the main drivers of airport development. As per Stage 3, Vernon’s economic growth would be used to suggest the future impact on airport activity. The forecasts would consider a 20-year planning period: short-term (0 through 5 years), medium (6 through 10 years) and long-term planning (11 through 20 years).

Stage 5 of the process identifies the specific types of facilities needed to serve the Airport’s future demands, based on existing facilities and Transport Canada requirements. It also examines outdated infrastructure and needs, in case of a change in function. Based on the results of the airport’s activity and projected demands (Stage 4), staff can identify if and when new facilities would be needed.

The Airport Development Concept and Alternatives is predicated on the facility requirements (Stage 5), and proposes various ways to influence the Airport’s development under a wide range of criteria including operational, environmental, financial and development impacts. These alternatives are brought to Vernon residents for discussion and feedback, following Council’s approval.

The Implementation Plan is the final phase of the planning process and focuses mainly on financial and land use planning. Financial planning provides an economic evaluation of the entire development plan. It analyzes the airport activity and budgeting information from Stages 2 and 3. The financial plan specifies the capital improvements and identifies optional funding sources for any proposed development.

The second piece of the Implementation Plan is land use planning. Land use planning is a critical component of an airport’s long-term growth and sustainability strategy. Land use planning would implement the 2014 Transport Canada Aeronautics Act for aviation land use in the vicinity of aerodromes, as well as the Airport’s development objectives of economic growth in the aerodrome’s site and surrounding lands, relative to the Official Community Plan (OCP) Growth Strategy.

The draft document includes a summary of the results of the process and provides a recommendation of the preferred alternative and the associated implementation plan developed in Stages 6 and 7.