An airport runway expansion is planned in Hyannis. Here's how to learn more

HYANNIS — A $20 million runway extension at Cape Cod Gateway Airport, along with taxiway improvements and other proposals, are part of a 20-year master plan that is now under state environmental review.

There are two public meetings planned on Jan. 5, one is at 11 a.m. at the airport and one at 6 p.m. to be held virtually. The public comment period ends Jan. 12.

The Federal Aviation Administration typically looks at existing infrastructure at an airport to make sure that it meets the needs that are currently assessed by the agency for safety and various regulations, Airport Manager Katie Servis said in a phone interview.

“They update those all the time,” she said.

That review by the FAA can guide what is in the master plan.

For the Hyannis airport, the federal agency sees a need to realign three taxiways, or move them, to meet current standards, Servis said.

“That was one of the top items that was identified as well as a runway extension along runway 15-33,” she said.

More:Yarmouth seeks aviation consultant to review airport plans

The airport, at 480 Barnstable Road, typically serves about 30,000 passengers annually. The airport is owned by the town of Barnstable and managed by the Barnstable Municipal Airport Commission and airport staff. Residents and property owners in the town to the east of the airport — in Yarmouth — are the ones that bear the brunt, though, said Yarmouth Board of Selectmen member Mark Forest.

"The airport is in Barnstable, but most of the planes fly over Yarmouth," Forest said in a phone interview. "The community’s impacted. It’s a regional facility."

Specifically, the town of Yarmouth is worried about noise, and finding and cleaning up contaminants such as PFAS at the airport that some believe have spread to Yarmouth, Forest said.

PFAS, or per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. High levels of exposure to some PFAS chemicals can cause human health problems. They are called "forever chemicals" because they do not break down easily.

More:State DEP: PFAS chemical contamination at Hyannis airport not investigated enough

"Anytime you do a master plan for a major facility like this it raises a whole host of issues as to whether or not any of the activities would exacerbate existing problems," Forest said. "That’s been the concern here."

The issues have been raised with the airport, and continue to be, Forest said. "I think there’s a genuine desire to find ways to have these issues addressed." The master planning process allows residents in Yarmouth to have even more of a voice, he said.

Master plan calls for runway extension, taxiway improvements and new easements

Generally, a master plan ensures the airport complies with FAA standards, develops alternatives to meet forecasted demand, and defines land uses surrounding the airport, according to airport materials. A plan will also provide the framework for future airport development.

The airport has two runways, 6-24, which is 5,425 feet long, and 15-33, which is 5,253 feet long. The recommended expansion for 15-33 is on one end by 895 feet and 400 feet on the other end. The cost would be $20 million and take place between 2026 and 2030, the according to the plan.

The taxiway improvements are in the range of $5 million to $8 million per taxiway, Servis said.

One of the taxiway changes, as requested by the FAA, would require crossing a wetland, she said.

“So we have to look at different ways that we may mitigate for that," Servis said, such as building a bridge over the wetlands.

Additional easements or land acquisitions, expected to cost around $13.5 million, are needed to protect air space services, Servis said. Based on FAA requests, the airport needs about $10 million in easements or land for the existing runways. Another $3.5 million would be needed with any runway expansion.

Most of the land that would be targeted for an easement or purchase is used now by businesses.

“Most of those commercial operations wouldn’t want to sell outright,” Servis said. So the agreements would likely come in the form of easements – paying the property owner for the rights to have that air space easement, she said.

A newer focus on community concerns, according to airport manager

Loss of some regional carriers at the airport, and growing competition starting in the 1990s with high-speed ferries to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard has affected the number of passengers using the airport, Servis said. At one time, the airport served about 200,000 passengers annually.

In the 1990s, when the airport first took a look at extending the 15-33 runway, the proposed design was out of balance with its effect on the community, Servis said.

The proposed changes would accommodate the existing fleet as well as clear the way for carriers to return to the airport, she said.

Obtaining community opinion about what issues they see with the plan is key, she said. “It’s a conversation that we want to have with these folks in the community because this is their airport too.”

Contact Asad Jung at ajung@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @asadjungcct

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CAPE COD GATEWAY AIRPORT: To learn about the state environmental assessment, visit https://flyhya.com/airport-info/environmental-assessment/. The public comment period is open until Jan. 12, 2023. The project email is evirohya@epsilonassociates.com.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: 20-year master plan at Hyannis airport could bring runway expansion