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ment of an Airport Hazard Zoning Ordinance. This ordinance is established to regulate and restrict the heights of structures and objects of natural growth around the airport to enhance safety of aircraft in flight and objects on the ground. Also, the ordinance considered the potential conflicts an obstruction could pose on existing and future approach minimums at the airport. The City of San Marcos enacted height hazard zoning legislation on September 27, 1984. The language of the height zoning ordinance borrows from Federal Aviation Regulation (F.A.R.) Part 77, Objects Effecting Navigable Airspace. F.A.R. Part 77 assigns three-dimensional imaginary areas to the runway in accordance with the type of aircraft and approach minimums being served. These imaginary surfaces emanate from the runway centerline and are dimensioned to protect approaching and departing aircraft from potential hazard of obstructions. SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS A variety of historical and forecast socioeconomic data, related to San Marcos and the Austin - San Marcos MSA, was collected for use in various elements of this master plan. This information is essential in determining aviation service level requirements, as well as forecasting the number of based aircraft and aircraft activity at the airport. Aviation forecasts are normally related to the population base, economic strength of the region, and the ability of the region to sustain a strong economic base over an extended period of time. 1-17 POPULATION An integral element of consideration when planning for future airport needs is the population. An understanding of demographic changes will determine, not only airport facility size, but also facility type. These factors underlie the economic base that, likewise, is needed to support future airport requirements. Due to its location along the growing 1- 35 corridor, consideration and analysis of population figures includes the City of San Marcos, Hays and Caldwell Counties, and the Austin-San Marcos MSA. Historical population data presented in Table 1B was obtained from The Complete Economic and Demographic Data Source (CEDDS 1998) by Woods and Poole Economics, Inc. and the city of San Marcos. As indicated on the table, the population for the City of San Marcos has increased at an average annual growth rate of 2.71 percent between 1970 and 1999. In more basic terms, the population for the city has more than doubled, increasing by 22,050 residents over the last 29 years. This growth rate outpaced that of the State of Texas by 0.8 percent, following the trend of the city of Austin which grew at a significant rate of 3.31 percent as averaged over the same twenty nine year period. Outpacing even this fast-paced trend, the combined Austin - San Marcos MSA grew at a fast-paced 3.64 percent over twenty-nine years, from 402,939 to 1.35 million people. The population doubled from 1970 to 1990 and then almost equaled that same growth increment in half the time, growing by approximately 300,000 by 1999.