Council Mulls Future of Santa Monica Airport

The Santa Monica City Council directed city staff Tuesday to continue exploring options for the future of the Santa Monica Airport, including the possible impacts of a partial or complete closure.

In an unanimous vote, council members voted to focus on finding ways to reduce airport noise, air pollution and safety risks through revised leasing policies, voluntary agreements and restrictions. Mayor Pro Tem Terry O'Day was absent.

"What we need to do is to determine if there is a way to make the airport a better neighbor," Councilwoman Gleam Davis said

City staff were also directed to continue to assess the potential risks and benefits of a full or partial closure of the airport. They will bring back a report to the council in March 2014.

The council also asked staff to go back and evaluate five recommendations from the Santa Monica Airport Commission and to continue talks with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

City staff acknowledged in a staff report that although a city-wide resident satisfaction survey shows that airport impacts are not a major concern to most residents, the airport's neighbors will not accept the status quo.

During the meeting, Councilman Bob Holbrook called for change.

"I don't think we can leave it as it is. We have to make changes. We have to move forward with the future. We have to think of future generations and what would be best for them," Holbrook said.

Councilman Kevin McKeown said public testimony about health concerns troubled him and that he wanted to see a reduction of flights, particularly training and test flights over neighborhoods in Santa Monica, Venice and Mar Vista.

"It doesn't make sense to me to have some of those operations taking place in this particular geographical physical location with the number of people who live under these flight paths," McKeown said.

McKeown said he wants a 1984 agreement with the FAA and other leases to expire in 2015.

Legal concerns

Early on in the meeting, City Attorney Marsha Jones Moutrie outlined the city's legal options in the exploration of the future of the Santa Monica Airport.

Moutrie said city staff met with representatives from the FAA to convey community sentiment about noise, safety and air quality, but did not reach a deal.

“We did stress that council is coming to a decision point about the airport and the community is demanding change,” Moutrie said.

She said the city owns the airport, but the city's choices are limited by federal law and several agreements, adding that the FAA has both legislative and judicial powers.

The city believes its agreement with the FAA expires in 2015, while the FAA maintains the date is 2023.

Moutrie outlined the city's options in exploring the questions about the future of the airport and encouraged the council to consider the best options for the community. She said the city could likely not afford to put in a park. She also said that any reuse would likely be more dense.

Airport concerns

As a four-hour public hearing featuring nearly 100 speakers got underway, Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl told the council he used to live in the flight path of the airport and that he has since moved.

“We’ve got to work together,” Rosendahl said. “I support the closure. I want to make that very clear. I think we have a strategy that could work.”

He encouraged the Santa Monica City Council to take leadership and explore the question on whether the airport can be closed in 2015.

Santa Monica Airport Commissioner David Goddard said in a presentation that the city can close 2,000 feet of runway by repaying $250,000 in grant assurance funds. He pointed to Chicago's closure of Meigs Field as a successful example.

Only a small Class-B airport would be left with limited operations in Santa Monica, Goddard said.

Jerry Rubin, a Santa Monica activist, asked for a moment of silence for two people killed in a plane crash in the Santa Monica Mountains.

One opponent of the airport pointed to neighborhood and community surveys that show support for reducing air traffic or shutting down the airport.

"The community has spoken," the woman said. Others pointed out noise and health concerns, with one man explaining that he plans to get his children tested for lead exposure.

Frank Gruber, a former Santa Monica City Council candidate, called on the council to consider shuttering the airport and converting it into a park.

Pilot opposition

Several pilots, mechanics and others spoke out against any plans to partially or completely close the airport.

Steve Brown, representing the National Business Aviation Association, said its members use the airport.

"Santa Monica is one of the greatest airports," Brown said. "We hope to preserve that in the future."

Many more people spoke. Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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