AOPA offers to work on airport protection bill
A threat to Upland's Cable Airport (see next story) is just the latest example of why AOPA has made a formal request to work cooperatively with the California Department of Transportation (DOT) to sponsor a bill in the 2006-2007 legislative session that would better protect the state's airports from residential encroachment, noise complaints, and safety hazards.
"AOPA has been actively involved in protecting California airports from threats of operational restrictions, or even closure, for many years," AOPA Vice President for Airports Bill Dunn wrote to the California DOT.
"California has several laws already in place to protect its airports, but competing pressures for housing development and airport operation at the local level have created new threats that we need to address."
A Division of Aeronautics official said a formal response to AOPA's request dated August 8 will be released soon. "The Division of Aeronautics is working with AOPA and other aviation interest groups to provide technical input on existing and proposed legislation that would strengthen land use compatibility laws affecting development in the vicinity of airports.
"We look forward to working with AOPA to support compatible land use around airports," the official said.
Cable airport threatened by housing development
Developers have proposed to build 375 homes on 31.6 acres of land next to Cable Airport in Upland, California. The houses would be located off the end of the runway, where landing aircraft turn from base to final and departing aircraft transition to climb power.
AOPA opposes the plan, and California's Airport Land Use Planning Handbook guidelines recommend against high-density residential housing near that area of the airport. "Communities often unknowingly create problems for themselves and future generations by failing to follow airport compatible land-use policies," AOPA warned Upland's city planner.
The association also urged the city to enforce the existing state guidelines to prevent incompatible development near the airport.
Pilots, AOPA fight rezoning at Reid-Hillview
If you had to make an emergency landing, which would you prefer as a potential landing site: a vacant field and parking lot or a car dealership? AOPA worked in conjunction with local pilots to defeat a rezoning proposal near San Jose's Reid-Hillview of Santa Clara County Airport.
The proposal would have changed the zoning on a 6.6-acre parcel from agricultural to industrial park and general commercial, creating safety issues for pilots in the air as well as citizens on the ground.
The city council needed eight votes to pass the measure and fell short by one. Local pilots made passionate pleas before the council to prevent the zoning change, and AOPA argued in a letter that the land in question is clearly within the FAA-required runway protection zone.
"When local pilots pull together, good things can happen," said Bill Dunn, AOPA vice president for airports. "But this is a battle we will continue to fight to maintain compatible land use around this popular and vital airport."
Even though Santa Clara County owns the airport, zoning authority of property surrounding the airport rests with the City of San Jose.
Grand jury warns of threats at Watsonville
The Watsonville Municipal Airport's "...existence is now threatened because the city is meeting its mandated housing goals by planning housing developments in airport safety zones, which could lead to increased noise complaints and untold liability in the event of an accident." That's the synopsis of an official 2006 report by a Santa Cruz County grand jury. You can read the report online.
The report says the airport is more than just an economic asset, "...drawing business and recreational visitors." It is a "key asset" in disaster relief efforts, as was demonstrated following the Loma Prieta earthquake, the report said.
Santa Cruz County should form an airport land use commission (ALUC) and comply with the airport land use planning requirements of the FAA and the State of California, the grand jury recommended. Also, the county and city should include the airport in all emergency preparedness plans, the report said.
The state Division of Aeronautics has previously requested that an ALUC be created for Santa Cruz County. At this writing the state has not received a reply from the city.
AOPA has long worked with local pilots in opposing restrictions imposed by the city in order to allow high-density residential unit construction in close proximity to the airport. The city's latest effort has been to reclassify the crosswind runway to "low use," which would allow higher density construction.
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