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Despite the closer proximity to homes~ no quatitative analysis of airport noise was included in the master plan. Therefore, consistency with Aviation Policy #4 and #6 can not be determined. These policies, along with the increasing awareness of airport noise in the region and several comments expressed at public meetings in the City of Ramsey indicate the importance of thoroughly considering noise impacts when planning airport improvements. The encroachment upon the residential area would increase the likelihood of noise-related conflicts between the airport and community. If, as stated in the draft Master Plan, it is expected that noise levels will be well within Federal and State standards~ documentation of supporting such findings would help alleviate the concerns of the Council and of the residents of the area surrounding Gateway. -Cost Effectiveness The airport site is surrounded by roadways, wetlands, a landfill and developed areas ~.~hich will preclude future expansion of the airport. The improved airport, while meeting Federal and State guidelines for a basic utility airport, ~l~ lack a crosswind runway and therefore have less wind coverage (90.3 percent) than the existing facility (99.1 percent). The above discussion of environmental concerns also indicates potential constraints to the effectiveness and desirability of an improved facility at that location. In addition~ nearly 50 percent of the total development costs of the proposed improvements would be needed for property acquisition and relocation of existing roadways and utilities. In other words~ the investment proposed for the Gateway North airport will be made toward a facility with substantial site- related limitations. Tradeoffs exist among community acceptance~ environmental compatibility~ aviation improvements and cost that may yield a more cost effective solution to the desire for an improved airport in Ramsey. Previous study of alternative sites yielded a potential location (the General Mills site) that would not have such limitations. The needs of the aviation system and the City of Ramsey may be better met by reconsidering alternative site locations for an airport that would have better growth potential and fewer potential land use conflicts. The Cit~ of Ramsey may wish to further consider alternative airport sites and the previous reasons for not pursuing those options, and determine whether the proposed improvements at the existing site alleviate concerns expressed about the other sites. Aviation Forecasts New forecasts of regional aviation demand have been prepared as part of the Metropolitan Council~'s update of its Aviation Policy Plan. These forecasts were not available at the time the Gateway North Airport Master Plan was being prepared. The updated regional forecasts show potentially s~gnificant differences in aviation growth compared to those used in the draft master plan. The forecasts used in the draft Gateway master plan are significantly higher than those for the region. The draft master plan assumes growth from 23 to 52 based aircraft (mid-range estimate) between 1982 and 2005, or an annual average increase of 3.6 percent -- over four times greater than the regional forecast of 0.78 percent per year during a comparable time period° Aircraft operations are also high compared to the regional forecast. The master plan data yield an average annual growth of 2.0 percent, compared to the 1.6 percent annual increase forecast for the Region. 4