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Santa Monica Airport Battle Continues

Santa Monica Airport
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The City of Santa Monica is conducting Phase II of a multi-phase community process, involving public meetings, to determine the future use of the Santa Monica Airport property.
  • A significant point of contention is the airport's operational obligation, with the City claiming its agreement expires in 2015, while the FAA states it continues beyond 2023.
  • Local officials, including LA City Councilman Bill Rosendahl and Sen. Ted W. Lieu, are actively campaigning for the airport's closure, citing environmental and safety concerns, and have engaged in symbolic political actions like a resolution to close flight schools.
  • The process will culminate in early 2013 with Phase III, which will review public input and prior studies to formulate the city's recommendations for potential policies and actions.
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The City of Santa Monica has launched Phase II of what it calls the Santa Monica Airport Community Process. This is a three-phase process that will help determine the future of KSMO. More than two-dozen two-hour long meetings are scheduled in January, February and March with eight to 12 participants giving their input on what they think would be the best use of the airport property. The City of Santa Monica claims its agreement with the federal government to keep the airport in operation expires in 2015. But according to the FAA, the City’s obligation continues beyond 2023.

At the conclusion of Phase II, Phase III will review the results of the public meetings along with the findings from Phase I, in which the RAND Corporation, Point C Partners and HR&A Advisors studied the airport’s impact on the community. The city’s recommendations for potential policies and actions based on the Santa Monica Airport Community Process will be made in early 2013.

Pia Bergqvist

Pia Bergqvist joined FLYING in December 2010. A passionate aviator, Pia started flying in 1999 and quickly obtained her single- and multi-engine commercial, instrument and instructor ratings. After a decade of working in general aviation, Pia has accumulated almost 3,000 hours of flight time in nearly 40 different types of aircraft.

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