06 Mar 2023

(Coos County, OR) – The Coos County Airport District (CCAD) Board of Commissioners approved a resolution clarifying that property owned by the airport is to be used for the safe and secure operation of the airport and other FAA-defined airport-compatible land uses.

At a time when city and county governments locally and across the state are seeking ways to address    Oregon House Bill 3115 concerning the homeless crises, the district felt the necessity to formalize by resolution the permitted use of the airport property and disseminate that information publicly.

CCAD Legal Counsel of Record, Melissa Cribbins, addressed the board and advised the law was carefully reviewed in terms of how it does or does not apply to property owned by the district. The legislation states the law applies to cities and counties. The Airport Special District is neither a city nor a county.

CCAD maintains that the airport property will continue to be operated as an airport and not as a resource for transient or homeless use, camping, or any residential housing in order to protect the safety and security of the airport. CCAD will continue to comply with its federal grant assurances, federal regulations and advisories governing Commercial Air Service Airports, and to function as a Special District.

The resolution was unanimously passed by the four commissioners in attendance at the February 23, 2023 meeting.

CCAD owns and operates the Southwest Oregon Regional Airport, which consists of 619 landside and airside acres. It leases over 33 commercial facilities, and combined with those tenants, employs over 600 personnel. The airport is critical to the state’s aviation plan that links to the Oregon Transportation Plan, a long-range vision and policy foundation to guide transportation system development and investment.