After two years of navigating through construction, travelers passing through Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport on Wednesday morning will be greeted with a new terminal and baggage claim area just before holiday travel picks up.

The openings represent a key milestone in the more than $40 million project to turn the facility originally built by the U.S. Army in the 1940s into a modern-day structure that will have an estimated record 600,000 passengers this year. Table Lamp

It’s a significant travel breakthrough for local residents thankful that they don’t have to drive to Oakland International or San Francisco International airports two hours away or out-of-town tourists looking to partake in wine tasting or hike along the Sonoma Coast.

The project’s centerpiece is the new terminal and separate baggage claim area with two carousels and rental car counters. They are modern barnlike structures that showcase natural light from skylights along with wood paneling of the roof and exposed metal beams.

The terminal will have four new gates that will be serviced by Avelo Airlines and Alaska Airlines, the airport’s dominant carrier. Passengers flying American Airlines will continue to use the current terminal, which will connect via closed pathway.

“What (travelers) will notice is the openness of the gate. We have a lot of natural light. We incorporated a lot of wood, metal. We went for the industrial wine feel. We really tried to enhance that sense of space,” Jon Stout, airport manager, said on a tour Thursday.

For example, the paneling has features of wainscoting and wine barrel staves, which are part of the design for the new gate counters, Stout noted.

There are more than 200 seats in the terminal with electrical and USB outlets placed in between them for easy charging of electronic gadgets. In the middle of the terminal, there will be 14-foot tall “leaf lamp” metal trees stationed in that “will hopefully break up the space and add a little depth,” Stout said.

The detail in the design is evident in the restrooms. For instance, the entry portion of the airport is still under renovation, but vestiges of the old structure remained last week, including the restroom that resembled one from a 1960s-era high school.

In contrast, the new restrooms in the baggage claim area have stalls with lights above it to let visitors know if they are occupied (red light) or vacant (green light). A tile mosaic of Linus leads to the men’s restroom while Sally signals to the women’s restroom.

In fact, characters from the “Peanuts” comic strip are prominently featured in the baggage claim area. Two replica aircraft hang from its ceiling with Snoopy piloting one plane and the Red Baron in the other.

A small statue of Snoopy atop his doghouse is located near its exit. There are also panel displays about cartoonist Charles Schulz and the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center.

“We are named after Charles,” Stout said.

The airport is working with Sonoma County Tourism on panels that will showcase other parts of the region for visitors, such as the natural resources of the redwoods and the coast.

The baggage claim area is important because that will be the first impression visitors will have of the Sonoma County brand, said Claudia Vecchio, president and CEO of Sonoma County Tourism, the agency responsible for marketing the local area to visitors.

“Having a welcoming, highly efficient and easy-to-navigate airport shapes the entire experience visitors have with Sonoma County. Our airport has always been a competitive advantage, but now it will truly be a centerpiece for our region,” Vecchio said in an email.

When finally completed by next spring, the project will feature more than 33,000 square feet of new construction and the renovation of more than 7,000 square feet in the facility.

Travelers also will notice a new security checkpoint with two lines that have state-of-the-art X-ray scanners, which will make it easier for passengers to get through, Stout said. It is right next to the ticketing counters.

The new terminal also features an outside patio and a pet-relief station.

The work will continue into next year with crews finalizing the entrance and a new front vestibule for the airport, which will mark the last major part of the renovation project.

“The front will open up, and it will be all glass and steel,” Stout said of the design of the new entrance.

The new terminal also will soon get a limited food service concession area and a wine bar, which will allow passengers to bring bottles on board as part of their carry-on items. A new provider will likely take over and start renovating the full-service restaurant on the property by year’s end, Stout said.

Brian Mills, the project manager for Q&D Construction, which oversaw the work crews, said the Sonoma County renovation has become one of his favorites of the 72 airport projects he has worked, from small ones to major terminals.

“To see something that came from one thing and going to the next, it’s this one by far,” Mills said.

Business, Beer and Wine, The Press Democrat  

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