The city of San Diego filed suit last week against Sunroad Centrum, a developer that is constructing a 180-foot-tall building near Montgomery Field. The building poses a danger to pilots flying at the airport. Earlier this month, the FAA refused to withdraw its determination that the building is a hazard to air navigation. Previously, the developer had asked the FAA to reconsider and offered to pay for and install an ILS at the airport to guide pilots flying IFR away from the building. Even if the FAA were to agree to this, AOPA believes this would create more problems than it solves. A stop-work order issued by the city prevents the developer from finishing the top two floors. However, city investigators have determined that the developer is violating that order by continuing to work on those floors. AOPA is pushing to have the floors removed and believes that's the only way to prevent the building from becoming a hazard to pilots.
December 22, 2006