San Bernardino County’s Department of Airports has received a National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award for its innovative Chino Airport Development Guidelines, a new resource designed to make future development at Chino Airport more predictable, efficient and easier to navigate.
The guidelines bring County, City of Chino, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other regulatory requirements together into one user-focused framework. Developers and tenants now have a clearer pathway for moving projects from initial concepts through entitlement, permitting and construction.
Chino Airport encompasses approximately 1,097 acres and is designated by the FAA as a national general aviation reliever facility. Its updated Airport Layout Plan (ALP) identifies opportunities for future aeronautical and non-aeronautical development while supporting safe airport operations, compatible land uses and economic growth.
Previously, prospective development required navigating overlapping and often outdated County, City, FAA, water district and other regulatory requirements. The new guidelines address that challenge by defining agency responsibilities, identifying required approvals and establishing a coordinated timeline sequence for project review.
Director of Airports Brett J. Godown, A.A.E., said feedback from developers highlighted the need for updated guidelines that would simplify the development process and help encourage future investment at Chino Airport.
“We listened to prospective developers and heard consistently that one of the biggest challenges to investing at an airport was understanding how to navigate the multiple regulatory processes involving the FAA, San Bernardino County, the City of Chino and other agencies,” said Godown.
The framework is designed to reduce uncertainty and risk, improve coordination and application quality, and help lower development costs. It also provides a scalable model that can be adapted by other airports and jurisdictions facing similarly complex development processes.
“These guidelines give applicants a much better understanding of what is required, who is responsible for each step and when coordination needs to occur. This allows us to identify issues earlier, improve the quality of submittals and help viable projects move through the development process more efficiently,” said Godown.
The NACo Achievement Award recognizes the County’s collaborative and innovative approach to reducing barriers to development while strengthening Chino Airport’s ability to support economic activity, job creation and essential public services, including medical evacuation and emergency response.
Chino Airport Manager Greg Zarco said, “What I’m most proud of is that we created something that can benefit more than just Chino Airport. We created a clearer path for development by addressing a challenging process. To me, that’s what good government is about, finding better ways to do things and sharing those solutions with others.”
For more information on Chino Airport, visit airports.sbcounty.gov.
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