Planning for a soaring future at Nut Tree Airport

The future of the Nut Tree Airport is being crafted and those molding the vision are asking for the public's help. For the first time since 1993, the Nut Tree Airport in Vacaville is getting an updated master plan that will help shape the next 20 years of activity at the facility. The first of three phases is complete and the public's input is now being sought for the remaining work. Interested residents are invited to a kick-off meeting Jan. 20 at the Ulatis Cultural Center at 7 p.m. where they may meet the project team, get an introduction on what is planned and to add input to be considered…. ncluded in the master plan will be projections and plans to deal with changes to aviation activity, what types of businesses are needed at the airport and the physical layout of the runways, said Andy Swanson, Nut Tree Airport manager. Peter Van Pelt, a senior project manager with Dunkleberg, said the kick-off is a chance for the public to wrap its head around the process expected to take 18-24 months. "It's helping craft a vision, future and niche for the Solano County airport. It will be a holistic approach of how it fits the area," Van Pelt said from his Tulsa office. "We will create that vision of what it will be when it grows up. It will include what it has, what the future will bring and examine ways to meet that future." He stressed that even if some plans are created, they won't be carried out unless the need is there in the future. "Every document is drafted, nothing is final until it says final on it," he said. "They should only be implemented when demand triggers are met. The intent is to cast a large net." Swanson said the master plan process has been a dream for years, but only recently came to be. After years of back and forth with the Federal Aviation Administration, a deal was finally struck after showing several plans within airport layout plans. After receiving a $350,000 federal grant in 2008 to be used for planning, the ball got rolling…. It's a huge thing for anyone who has an interest in the airport."…