Anti-Airport Activists Absent at 'Visioning' Forums

Despite a over noise from 's jets and flight school aircraft circling residential neighborhoods, city staffers say there's been "a lot of no-shows" at the public study sessions underway as part of the city's airport visioning process.

"That's despite the fact that we send out reminders," to those who signed up, Susan Cline, Assistant Director of Public Works, told the Airport Commission on Monday.

By contrast, said Commissioner Ofer Grossman, who took part in one session, it's "painfully obvious" that pilots attending the sessions are quite organized and have studied a list of talking points that warn of dense development and traffic .

Grossman, like other commissioners, has criticized parts of the visioning process, and said he was disappointed to realize that some residents were signing up—but not showing up—for the study sessions.

"When I see empty seats in a meeting... where the neighborhood purports to be highly interested and impacted, and then [residents] can't fill up a meeting room and the pilots can, I think it speaks volumes on who has an interest in the airport," he said.

Commissioners also expressed concern that the opinions about SMO coming out of the groups may not be grouped and classified by source. For example, whether comments are from pilots, from Ocean Park residents, or Mar Vista residents, etc.

Commission Chair Richard Brown insisted there at least be some group attribution. "Otherwise," he said, "it's not terribly informative—just a collection of comments from a non-representative sample of the city's population" and other self-identified interested parties.

Cline said every session is recorded and minutes are taken. She will report to the commission next month how the data is being classified and whether "themes" are being developed.

Despite the no-shows, the overall process has been popular enough for the city to add five sessions to the original list: one on the evening of March 15; two on March 16; and two on March 17.

Cline said 263 people have signed up for study sessions, with 144 taking part in 20 sessions so far. Nine sessions remain and some still have space available. (sign up online at smovisioning.org).

The commission will devote its April meeting to its own public workshop on the visioning process. That's 15 days before the City Council receives a final report on Phase 2 at its May 8 meeting.

The commission hopes to hear a summary of the stakeholder study sessions that are at the core of Phase 2, plus presentations by airport users and neighborhood groups.

What's more, the public will hear a review of the legal agreements affecting SMO, particiularly those with the Federal Aviation Administration. Additionally, a summary of SMO's financial picture will be presented, including how revenue is produced through a variety of enterprises from property leasing to landing fees.

The city is paying aconsulting firm, Moore Iacofano Goltsman, Inc. $148,280 to guide staffers in garnering public input during the "visioning process" for the airport.

The visioning process is , when its current operational agreement with the Federal Aviation Admistration expires. (The FAA insists its control over SMO will continue after that date).

Stay up to date on Santa Monica news and events, by following @StaMonicaPatch and “like” on Facebook.