Last Thursday, May 1, we witnessed the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority demonstrate a complete disregard for the concerns and interests of the Peninsula and communities surrounding Lindbergh Field. Board members certified their 1,800-page environmental impact report (EIR) and master plan over the objections and repeated requests for more time than the 12 days given to review and comment on the new 438 pages. The board further implied our interest was a “stalling tactic” by the community, although the EIR report admits significant increases in road traffic and air pollution. District 2 City Councilman Kevin Faulconer cited the EIR responses to his written comments as “incomplete” and “an insult” with regard to his concerns for our community.
Master plan, EIR obsolete
This “master plan” is actually the second phase of the Lindbergh Field expansion as envisioned by the original Port District engineers back in the late 1980s. It is only too clear that we are witnessing a poorly considered, impatiently rushed, incremental build-out of the smallest major airport in the country. The Airport Authority’s own repeated assessments in over 30 reports have never supported this strategy:
Finding: “No matter what course of action is pursued at the current location, SDIA [San Diego International Airport] at Lindbergh Field seems almost certain to fail to serve the region’s needs.” (Airport Site Selection report 5/2006).
Impacts many, unjustified
Many people have now heard of the new 5,000-car parking structure. What you may not realize is that this stopgap expansion plan includes several other projects that will directly affect the health, safety, traffic and property values of our community.
An obvious outcome will be the greatly increased noise and smoke from two dozen aircraft in the new overnight parking area and 10 new gates “” pointing their exhausts in the late night and dawn directly at Liberty Station and Loma Portal.
Nor is little mention made of the new western airport exit that will direct traffic much closer to the bridge near the S.S. Recruit and Nimitz Boulevard. As a result, there will be gridlock increases to the traffic flowing through the Peninsula in an attempt to avoid the bottlenecks of
Harbor Drive and the Embarcadero.
Regarding safety, we are already one of the most dangerous runways in the world. Now we’re going to increase that risk by creating many more situations of overtaxed air traffic controllers and minimal aircraft separations at a time where the FAA is unreliable.
At 90 percent capacity now
If this plan had any long-term future it might somehow be justified. The simple truth is that last year we experienced an increase of 7,000 takeoff/landing operations “” bringing our current annual figure to 227,000. That means we are within 5 years of reaching the 260,000 runway limit announced by the FAA. Simply put, this is a plan that spends several years and nearly $1 billion with no future. Or is there a hidden plan?
Second runway inevitable
We will soon hear a call for the construction of a second runway at Lindbergh. As written for Sherlock Holmes: “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” In our case, it will soon be impossible to increase traffic on our single runway as it surpasses London’s Gatwick to be the busiest single runway in the world.
The Airport Authority’s recent May 2008 report suggests a ˜V’ runway ” Option F-12000 “” will be our future.
The recommended 12,000-foot runway remains the most likely among the other alternatives. It displaces 600 homes (about 1,500 people).
What are we to do?
In closed session, our City Council approved of the mayor’s agreement not to object to the EIR under the 30-day statute of limitations. So it is up to the individuals of our community to band together and say not now, not ever, or suffer the fate of the uninvolved.
I’m asking each and every person concerned with their health, safety, quality of life and property value to donate their time, energy and money to stop this inappropriate expansion. Join SANNoise.org by web and please send donations and letters to SANNoise, P.O. Box 70194, San Diego, 92167.
” Lance Murphy chairs the SANNoise grassroots organization that shares concerns over noise, air quality and traffic issues relating to Lindbergh Field. He is former chair of the Peninsula Community Planning Board’s Airport Committee.