Santa Monica Airport: How Long Before Politicians' ILLEGALLY Bulldoze KSMO In
The Dead Of Night as was done at Meigs Field in Chicago (March 30, 2003)
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meigs_Field#Demolition_and_closure> and San Juan
Capistrano Airport in California (June 1, 1978)
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<http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Santa-Monica-Airport-Supporters-Wont-Give-Up223069-1.html>
Santa Monica Airport Supporters Won't Give Up
By Elaine Kauh | November 5, 2014
Advocates of Santa Monica Municipal Airport said this week they won't give up
their fight to prevent the city from redeveloping the field, despite a failed
ballot initiative that would have put the airport's fate in the hands of
voters. The ballot question asked residents if the city should be required to
seek approval from voters before changing land uses at the airport. On Election
Day, voters rejected it by 58 percent.
The National Business Aviation Association and AOPA issued statements saying
they'll continue to oppose the city's efforts to redevelop the airport's 227
acres. "We are tremendously disappointed that the city council will be able to
continue business as usual when it comes to attempts to close and redevelop the
airport," said Bill Dunn, AOPA vice president of airports, in a statement
Wednesday. "But that doesn't mean SMO is closing or that we're giving up on
it." Santa Monica Voters for Open and Honest Development Decisions pushed to
get the question on the ballot in June after more than 15,500 signatures were
submitted to city officials.
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<http://www.nbaa.org/news/pr/2014/20141105-085.php>
NBAA Vows to Continue Fighting for Santa Monica Airport
Contact: Dan Hubbard, (202) 783-9360,
Washington, DC, Nov. 5, 2014 – The National Business Aviation Association
(NBAA) today reiterated its long-standing commitment to ensuring unfettered
access to California’s Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO), despite the
outcome over proposals regarding SMO’s future, which were included on
yesterday’s election ballot.
“While we are disappointed by yesterday’s results, airports in the United
States are subject to federal laws and Santa Monica is no exception,” said Ed
Bolen, NBAA president and CEO. “NBAA has worked for decades to retain this
important asset in our federal airport network, and we will continue to fight
to ensure that the airport lives up to its obligations, and that business
aviation continues to have access to the facility.”
Santa Monica voters rejected an NBAA-supported initiative known as Measure D by
a 58.3 percent “no” margin. Measure D would have required a public vote before
the city could restrict access to or completely or partially close the airport,
obligating the city of Santa Monica to continue operating the airport “in a
manner that supports its aviation purposes” and stipulating that the city
cannot impose new restrictions that would “inhibit the sale of fuel or the full
use of aviation facilities.” The initiative had been placed on the ballot after
more than 15,500 signatures were submitted to city officials in June.
Santa Monica residents instead voted to allow the city council to continue
making decisions regarding SMO. Airport advocates have long noted that
developing the airport property with high-rise buildings, dense housing or
other structures could significantly increase – not decrease – congestion and
air pollution.
Over the past 50 years, the city has repeatedly attempted to restrict
operations at SMO. Each time, NBAA has actively fought to preserve access to
the airport, and each prior case has been determined in favor of the federal
government and airport users.
“It is unfortunate that the ballot initiative outcome allows Santa Monica city
officials to continue their long-standing attempts to close their community
airport, which fly in the face of their legal obligations and disregard the
importance of the airport as a general aviation gateway to Southern
California,” Bolen said. “NBAA will continue its long history of working to
ensure that the airport remains open and functional, so that it can enable
time-sensitive medical and mercy flights, ensure preparedness in the event of a
natural disaster, relieve congestion at commercial airports, foster commerce,
enhance safety and generate jobs.”
The city has received significant federal funding for airport improvements over
the years. As recently as 2003, Santa Monica accepted federal funding that
obligates the city to keep the airport open and viable for another 20 years.
Nonetheless, the city contends that these grant-based obligations ended in June
2014 and are extended only to July 2015 by another agreement with the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA).
Most recently, the Santa Monica City Council indicated that it may begin
offering only short-term lease extensions to airport tenants, and it is
considering prohibiting some aeronautical activities, such as fuel sales or
flight training – all of which would violate its binding grant obligations.
“Santa Monica Airport is an important part of our national airport system,”
said Bolen. “On behalf of our Members, NBAA will continue to support all
efforts to keep SMO open and accessible for those who rely on it.”
SMO, an essential reliever airport for the Los Angeles basin area, provides an
economic input of more than $250 million to the local economy each year and
supports 175 businesses and 1,500 jobs.
Read more about NBAA’s long-standing work to preserve access to SMO.
<http://www.nbaa.org/ops/airports/smo/>
# # #
Founded in 1947 and based in Washington, DC, the National Business Aviation
Association (NBAA) is the leading organization for companies that rely on
general aviation aircraft to help make their businesses more efficient,
productive and successful. The Association represents more than 10,000
companies and provides more than 100 products and services to the business
aviation community, including the NBAA Business Aviation Convention &
Exhibition, the world's largest civil aviation trade show. Learn more about
NBAA at www.nbaa.org.
Members of the media may receive NBAA Press Releases immediately via email. To
subscribe to the NBAA Press Release email list, submit the online form.
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<http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2014/November/05/City-supported-initiative-passes-in-Santa-Monica?CMP=ADV:1>
City-supported initiative passes in Santa Monica
Voters won’t decide airport’s future
November 5, 2014 By Elizabeth A Tennyson
Santa Monica Municipal Airport
A city-sponsored ballot initiative has passed in Santa Monica, California.
Measure LC, which leaves the future of Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO) in
the hands of the city council, passed with 59 percent of voters saying “yes”
with 90 percent of precincts reporting. At the same time, voters rejected a
separate AOPA-supported measure that would have given control of the airport’s
future to voters.
“We are tremendously disappointed that the city council will be able to
continue business as usual when it comes to attempts to close and redevelop the
airport,” said Bill Dunn, AOPA vice president of airports. “But that doesn’t
mean SMO is closing or that we’re giving up on it. Despite yesterday’s vote,
the city still needs to comply with federal requirements to keep the airport
operational and AOPA will continue to work with airport advocates to defend and
protect this valuable and historic field.”
While the city must continue to operate the airport under its existing
agreement with the FAA, they have previously tried to strangle flight
operations with exorbitant landing and rental fees, and several council members
have received financial backing from local developers, leading to fears that
the council will work to close the airport to allow industrial and office
development on the airport site. Measure D would have given city voters the
power to make that decision.
“If development happens, we’ll see hundreds, even thousands, of additional
vehicle trips through the area every day,” said Dunn. “And that would bring
exactly the kind of congestion Santa Monica residents want to avoid.”
An AOPA-supported initiative known as Measure D would have required voter
approval before the city could make airport land available for nonaviation uses
or close or partially close the airport. It also would have required the city
to continue to operate the airport “in a manner that supports its aviation
purposes” and stipulates that the city cannot impose new restrictions that
would “inhibit the sale of fuel or the full use of aviation facilities.”
Only 43 percent of voters cast ballots in favor of Measure D. Santa Monicans
for Open and Honest Development Decisions, which sponsored Measure D, submitted
more than 15,500 signatures to the Santa Monica city clerk in June to get the
measure placed on the ballot.
Through the years, various city council members have been involved in efforts
to close the airport and redevelop the property. Tactics used by airport
opponents have included attempts to restrict aviation uses of the airport,
lawsuits, and selling sections of airport land.
If the city council continues to move in the direction of closing the airport
and redeveloping the land, they will have to determine how Santa Monica
residents would pay for the multi-million dollar environmental cleanup
requirements, how to deal with the added traffic and congestion nightmare
associated with development of the airport site, and how it would recoup the
$250 million in annual economic impact and 1,500 lost jobs, currently generated
by the airport. All of which will happen on the backs of Santa Monica
taxpayers.
The association has long fought to keep historic Santa Monica Municipal Airport
open. The airport, which occupies 227 acres in the heart of Santa Monica, is
not only a significant economic engine for the community but is also a
bellwether for more than 200 other airports established under similar federal
land agreements following World War II. Santa Monica Municipal Airport also
acts as a vital general aviation reliever airport for nearby Los Angeles
International and other airports in the congested LA Basin.
Santa Monica Airport Vote
Santa Monica airport is now in the hands of the City Council after voters
reject AOPA supported measure D.
Elizabeth Tennyson
Elizabeth A Tennyson | Director of Government Affairs and Executive
Communications, AOPA
Director of Government Affairs and Executive Communications Elizabeth Tennyson
joined AOPA in 1998, the same year she earned her private pilot certificate.
She also holds an instrument rating and enjoys jumping out of planes almost as
much as flying them.
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