SM residents will not give up the fight
San Martin residents say they aren’t discouraged by Santa Clara
County supervisors’ decision this week to accommodate most of the
growth in general aviation over the next 20 years at South County
Airport.
SM residents will not give up the fight
San Martin residents say they aren’t discouraged by Santa Clara County supervisors’ decision this week to accommodate most of the growth in general aviation over the next 20 years at South County Airport.
It’s not the end of their fight.
“We’re frustrated, we’re mad and we’re determined to get our word in on future decisions,” said Sylvia Hamilton, president of the San Martin Neighborhood Alliance. “The hearing Tuesday was an eye-opener. We thought we’d be listened to somewhat. We believe their decision was already made and we’re going to see what we can do.”
In writing a new flight plan for private pilots that will direct most plane owners in the next two decades to unincorporated San Martin, supervisors defined the role of each of three county-operated airports. Specific development will be determined later.
Supervisors approved token growth at the county’s other two airports. Palo Alto Airport was largely spared because of uncertainty over what will happen when the county lease of the facility expires in 2017. The location of Reid-Hillview Airport — in the midst of East San Jose subdivisions and shopping centers — won its reprieve.
The shared plea of San Martin residents and neighbors of Reid-Hillview – “don’t do this to us” – didn’t sway board members. No one from Palo Alto objected to recommendations resulting from a consultant’s work in updating the county’s 20-year-old airport master plan.
San Jose International Airport, which is phasing out general aviation but will retain space for 179 private planes, is not part of the county airport system.
Forty-one members of the public used their allotted two minutes Tuesday to mostly speak against increasing the capacity of whichever airport was in their neighborhood.
Although board chairman Don Gage had asked the audience not to applaud speakers, Ted Johnson of East San Jose drew a nice hand when he urged no growth at all three airports.
“Let pilots drive to other (out-of-county) airports,” Johnson said, noting that he travels to Monterey to sail and to San Francisco for the races.
Barry Shiller of San Martin also focused on airports outside the immediate vicinity.
The consultant didn’t consider airports such as Hollister, Livermore or San Carlos, Shiller said, even when surveys show that pilots themselves favor the facilities in neighboring counties because of convenience and/or cost of services.
“The decision makers have totally ignored common sense,” said Hamilton, whose association has opposed South County Airport expansion since the group was formed almost two years ago.
If airport master plan forecasts are fully realized, Hamilton said, 5 percent of the county population – San Martin’s contribution – will bear the inconveniences of 74 percent of general aviation growth.
San Martin residents also fear that Assemblyman Joe Simitian’s recently approved bill AB 2776 holds more grief in the form of lowered property values if the runway at the local airport is lengthened beyond 4,000 feet.
The bill requires home sellers to reveal to buyers if their property falls within an “airport influence area” where current or future airport-related activity may affect land use or result in restrictions on uses.
East San Jose resident Raquel Guerrero was just as opposed to more activity at Reid-Hillview.
“I live at runway 31 R. I can tell you the airport is at capacity. We can’t have any outdoor activities,” Guerrero said.
According to Reid-Hillview critic Bud Beacham, 80 percent of operations at the Eastside airport are attributable to students whom, he said, “circle around crop dusting us with lead-based matter.”
Eight schools are located with one-quarter mile of the airport and 40,000 people live within one mile of the facility which, Beacham said, has “run quality of life into the ground.”
In the end, it didn’t matter.
Supervisors, Gage said, have to consider the county as a whole in its decisions. He said seven of 16 community meetings or airport commission hearings concerning the master plan update were held in South County.
“We do listen to you,” Gage said.
But the county is constrained in certain areas, Gage said. Monetary grants it has received from the Federal Aviation Administration, which is interested in keeping airports open, limit the decisions the county can make.
Supervisor Blanca Alvarado, whose district includes Reid-Hillview Airport and who tried without success to close the facility six years ago, made the motion to approve staff recommendations. The vote was unanimous.
“Quality of life is a big deal with every single one of us in the frenetic Bay Area. But we’re stuck with three airports. The county must control land around South County Airport so we don’t make the same mistakes as at Reid-Hillview,” Alvarado said.
“This is not the best day for any of us,” Alvarado said, but she added, the proposed plan “balances growth and reduces impacts that we all can live with.”
The board didn’t take up an airport commission recommendation that staff recommendations be adopted, but that the runway at South County Airport not be extended.
The county’s director of roads and airports, Michael Murdter, said the board decision on how much each airport should grow “forms the foundation on which the rest of the master plan will rest.” Now, Murdter said, his staff can begin detailed study of each facility and prepare for environmental studies.
Dave Dietz from the consultant Shutt Moens Associates said he hopes to prepare technical information this winter for consideration by county officials in the spring.
Supervisor Jim Beall asked Murdter to look into the possible relocation of training exercises from Reid-Hilliview to airports out of county. Takeoffs and landings of student pilots contribute to the 235,000 takeoffs and landings there annually. There are 209,000 takeoffs and landings annually at Palo Alto Airport and 56,000 at South County Airport.
According to the master plan update, owners of 1,960 planes will be seeking hangars or tie-down spots at the three county airports by 2022. San Jose International will not be accepting any of the 324 new arrivals.
Palo Alto Airport, which has a capacity of 553 aircraft and has 524 planes currently there, will make room for 60 more airplanes. The airport has a single 2,500-foot runway.
Reid-Hillview Airport has a pair of 3,100-foot runways. With 687 of 726 parking places occupied, it is scheduled to provide 24 more spots.
South County Airport has 90 of 178 places filled. It is being asked to provide for 240 more planes, including 100 hangars to be constructed soon. It has one 3,100-foot runway.
