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.()_.4.-t.ack...riNeog+ <br /> AIRPORT SPECIFIC AREA PLAN (ASAP) <br /> 1. INTRODUCTION <br /> The planning area encompasses about 50-sq. miles and is dominated by undeveloped lands <br /> devoted to cattle ranching. Centered within ASAP is the region's general aviation airport — the <br /> Prescott Municipal (Ernest A. Love) Airport. Airport users, the Prescott Chamber of Commerce, <br /> and area industries have indicated an interest in planning for the area. In addition, the County <br /> Board of Supervisors, the region's Planning Commissions, and the Prescott City Council have <br /> acknowledged the need for airport area planning. Presently the only community plan in place is <br /> Yavapai County's 1991 Granite Dells Community Plan, which covers the south-central portion of <br /> ASAP. That Plan recommends a review by the end of 2000 to assess significant trends <br /> warranting any plan changes. <br /> The 1997 Prescott General Plan supports this planning effort where it acknowledges the <br /> regional value of the airport and the need to protect it from encroachment of residential <br /> development. The General Plan also notes the airport's location central to the expanding <br /> municipalities Prescott, Prescott Valley, and Chino Valley — and promotes regional cooperation <br /> to achieve airport protection. The potential economic development impact of the Prescott Airport <br /> to the Tri-city area cannot be understated. A recent study by Embry Riddle Aeronautical <br /> University estimated an average annual $43.5 million in direct economic impact based on airport <br /> organizations, services and businesses. <br /> Several land use issues have created a greater urgency for planning in the near term. The new <br /> arterial beltway — Pioneer Parkway/Airport Connector (SR 89A realigned) was completed, and <br /> introduced new pressures and opportunities for development. The groundwater mining <br /> declaration for the Prescott Active Management Area (AMA) of 1998 means that all new <br /> residential development within the AMA must rely on alternate water supplies or on exempt <br /> individual wells (all of ASAP lies within the AMA). Finally there is a growing concern for the <br /> remaining antelope range in the Tri-city area, which greatly characterizes the ASAP area. A <br /> regionally based plan is needed to guide future land use as the existing ranches seek to <br /> develop their holdings, and to protect the viability of ranching for those land owners <br /> experiencing development pressures. <br /> PLANNING PROCESS <br /> The project was initiated in 1999 by the Prescott City Council, which led to a series of <br /> presentations to the County Board of Supervisors (BOS), The Airport Advisory Board, the <br /> Airport Users Group, City of Prescott, Town of Chino Valley, and the Regional Association of <br /> Local Governments (RALG). In addition, participants in the 2020 forum recently identified airport <br /> protection and regional planning cooperation for the airport area as primary goals. A similar <br /> theme was voiced at the 2001 Airport Visioning meeting. Individual meetings were held early <br /> with subject landowners to inform them of the planning effort and to solicit their ideas and <br /> concerns. A needs survey was done for the area industries with a focus on their location <br /> parameters, employee and transportation needs. Key staff from Chino Valley, Prescott Valley, <br /> Prescott, and Yavapai County met to brainstorm ideas. The City of Prescott Community <br /> Development Dept. took the lead on writing the plan, based on the comments and information <br /> obtained. <br /> 1 <br />