Opinion
By Eric Fraser, commercial pilot, former Airport Advisory Board member and third-generation Redlands resident.
The Redlands City Council is encouraged to exercise its discretionary powers and deny the zone change and land use proposal for the construction of single-family residences near the Redlands Municipal Airport. This and any future project that proposes residential development near the airport is the most incompatible land use that could be considered.
City staff has unfortunately misinterpreted the provisions and polices associated with land-use planning in the vicinity of the airport. Their recommendations to approve such projects fail to consider the impacts to the airport and conformity with city policy and urban planning best practices.
City Council and staff have an obligation to follow the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP) in making land use planning decisions, and to comply with the adopted policy document to ensure that land use planning in the vicinity of the airport does not create safety hazards to flight operations, property/people on the ground, noise impacts from aircraft, and continued viability of the airport.
The ALUCP directs the city to adopt zoning that is compatible with the plan, even if it results in a non-conforming use. This is to ensure the long-term viability of the airport and not allow uses that could result in unnecessary costs to the city, impacts to airport operations due to noise complaints, or create liability exposure from allowing hazards to aerial navigation.
The city just paid out a claim due to litigation from a motorist hitting a weir box in the right-of-way on San Timoteo Canyon Road, consider the exposure to allowing homes in the flight path or vicinity of the airport should an emergency landing be necessary. That is exactly why the plan dictates the type of uses in the vicinity of the airport be such that space is provided for emergency landings and population densities are reduced to minimize risks to those onboard the aircraft in addition to those on the ground. This also allows for a minimal number of people to be impacted by the noise associated with airport operations.
The staff report and subsequent recommendations for the development project are in direct conflict with several provisions of city policy as outlined in the ALUCP, CEQA and Measure U.
Staff fails to recognize the economic impacts to the airport if flight restrictions are implemented due to noise complaints from non-compatible residential development near the airport. Those impacts include loss of revenue to flight instruction businesses, loss of jobs to commercial pilots and flight instructors, reduced revenue to fuel vendors, maintenance personnel, and businesses including airport leaseholders.
The noise study prepared by Kunzman Associates, Inc. on behalf of the applicant, appropriately dated April 1, is completely inadequate.
“The nearest airport to the project site is Redlands Municipal Airport, which is located approximately 0.25 miles north of the site. This is a small airport normally used by single-engine, fixed-wing, aircraft and helicopters. During the ambient noise measurement, one of these single-engine aircraft departed; and did not register as the Lmax during the measurement period. Therefore, aircraft noise associated with the Redlands Municipal Airport is also not considered to be a source that contributes substantially to the ambient noise levels on the project site. The proposed project would not expose persons residing or working within the area to excessive noise levels from aircraft. No mitigation is necessary.”
A valid noise study would collect a substantial amount of data points from several overflying aircraft. No zone change, conformity with Measure U, or CEQA determination should be adopted without this data.
The city has been the recipient of federal funds to construct airport improvements. As a condition of receiving those funds, the city is obligated to comply with several grant assurances. Included in those assurances are obligations to take appropriate action to restrict the use of land adjacent to or in the immediate vicinity of the airport to activities and purposes compatible with normal airport operations, including the landing and takeoff of aircraft. Single-family residential development is not a compatible land use near an airport.
The action to approve the proposed zone change from agricultural to single family residential for property in the vicinity of the airport is a discretionary action and should be denied by council due to incompatible land use. The council should follow the ACULP and work to acquire property adjacent to the airport for open space using proceeds from the sale of the Palmetto Grove, Measure O and other airport funding opportunities and/or encourage compatible uses that do not include residential development. Council should also make the necessary changes to the General Plan to conform with the ALUCP even if such action creates a non-conforming use.
If an airport was proposed to be constructed at the Redlands Country Club, would Council approve such a project? There is no difference in locating residential development near an airport or building an airport near residential development.
Eric Fraser, commercial pilot, former Airport Advisory Board member and third-generation Redlands resident.
- Source: http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/opinion
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