Aurora State Airport Master Plan Reflects Years of Community Engagement

SALEM, OR. - The Oregon Department of Aviation (ODAV) is highlighting the extensive community engagement behind the draft Aurora State Airport Master Plan as the proposal moves toward consideration by the State Aviation Board. The planning record includes 14 public meetings, 467 responses to the initial community survey, 75 responses to an alternatives feedback form, and more than 300 indexed comment and correspondence entries.

“This plan has been developed in public since 2021,” said Kenji Sugahara, Director of the Oregon Department of Aviation. “We added opportunities for discussion, spent additional money to gather feedback, and changed elements of the plan in response to what we heard. The public record is extensive and available for everyone to review.”

Between November 2021 and February 2025, the department held nine Planning Advisory Committee meetings, three committee work sessions and two public open houses. Approximately 40 people attended the first open house, held virtually in 2022. Approximately 120 attended the June 2024 open house at North Marion High School, which offered an in-person opportunity for residents, including those with limited internet access.

Outreach included mailed postcards, newspaper advertisements, press releases, email announcements, airport flyers and online project materials. The 2024 open house was promoted through 276 mailed postcards and coverage in the Wilsonville Spokesman. The City of Wilsonville also mailed its own postcards advertising the event. Residents could provide feedback at meetings, through online forms, by email and through mailed submissions.

The advisory committee included representatives of the cities of Aurora and Wilsonville, Friends of French Prairie, neighborhood organizations, counties, Tribal governments, state agencies, airport businesses and airport users. Their questions and concerns are documented in the published planning record.

The department also spent beyond the original project budget to support additional meetings and public input. The master plan explains that a process originally scheduled for 18 months extended over four years because of additional outreach and thorough FAA review and coordination. At the February 2025 advisory committee meeting, agency leadership explained that additional spending supported gathering more public comments and information for a fuller discussion.

Feedback produced concrete changes. The refined preferred alternative removed a proposed parallel taxilane, eliminating the associated need to remove hangars and acquire additional property. It also removed a proposed vehicle service road that would have required property acquisition. The department published responses to questions raised during meetings and a separate response document addressing Wilsonville’s comments on the first four chapters.

“People have raised substantive concerns, and those concerns deserve substantive responses,” Sugahara said. “Disagreement with a proposed improvement does not erase the years of public involvement or the changes made in response to it. Anyone evaluating this process should look at the record, including the comments and the agency’s responses.”

The public record includes thousands of pages of meeting materials, comments, correspondence and supporting attachments. The survey and correspondence figures represent responses and recorded entries, rather than a count of unique participants.

Public participation continues. Written comments will be accepted through November 3, 2026, using our online form, by email at mail.aviation@odav.oregon.gov, by first class mail to: 3040 25th Street SE, Salem, OR 97302, or by fax at 503-373-1688. Oral testimony may also be provided at the December 3, 2026, public hearing, when the State Aviation Board is scheduled to consider adoption of the plan and accompanying State Agency Coordination Findings.

For additional information, documents and resources related to the Aurora State Airport Master Plan, visit the Aurora State Airport Master Plan webpage.

About the Oregon Department of Aviation

The Oregon Department of Aviation (ODAV) supports a safe and efficient aviation system that connects communities and drives economic growth. The department operates and maintains 28 state-owned airports and provides aviation planning, infrastructure funding and technical expertise across Oregon. ODAV works with communities, government agencies and industry to strengthen airport infrastructure, support emergency preparedness and advance the safe integration of emerging aviation technologies, including uncrewed aircraft systems and advanced air mobility. To learn more, visit www.oregon.gov/aviation.

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