Overview

The County Airports Office is currently working on a 20-year update to the Airport Master Plan and Business Plan for each of the three facilities. We also recently completed a FAA funded FAR Part 150 Noise Study for Reid-Hillview Airport. The combined effects of these projects will provide us with a solid planning basis for future airport improvement projects that will make all three airports safer, more effective and efficient as well as better neighbors to the surrounding communities.

Palo Alto The FAA provided grant funding to improve the airport access road and install a new security gate at the entrance to the fuel farm and FAA Control Tower. The Palo Alto Airport Association will be hosting an Airport Day Open House on September 12, which is especially exciting as it's PAO's first PAO Open House in over 10 years!

Reid Hillview In 2003, we completed a project bringing electricity and lighting to nearly 90 hangars, and improved runoff drainage throughout the County hangar area. Several other FAA-funded projects will start in the near future including resurfacing the airport access road, installing a Pilot Controlled Lighting System, improving the pavement in several aircraft storage areas, and providing security fencing and an Access Control System. In cooperation with the Electric Automobile Association, we also recently installed an electric vehicle charging station near the terminal building. We've also been sprucing up the airport with some landscaping improvements, a new coat of paint in the terminal, new bulletin boards, baby changing stations in the restrooms and we added a new dog run area to provide a safe place to play for tenant and transient pets.

South County The FAA recently changed the airport identifier to E16, formerly Q99. Construction of 100 new aircraft hangars has begun at South County Airport in San Martin. Ground was broken in February and the hangars should be completed sometime in October. This is the first hangar project initiated by the County in over 35 years, and has been long anticipated by airport tenants. The waiting list is over 110 at present time and we are optimistic the project will be fully subscribed upon completion. To complement this project, the County will build a 500,000-gallon fire-water storage tank with associated pumping system to accommodate the fire sprinkler system installed in the hangars and improve the hydrant flow throughout the airport. Two other FAA-funded projects have been approved to install an Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) and provide new security fencing and an Access Control System at the airport.