I’m confused. I, too, am a 33-year Point Loma resident who experiences commercial flights over my house, although supposedly I am not in the designated flight path. And yes, we all knew this when we bought houses here. But not foreseen in the 1960s was the current crisis. That noise is awful, but there is much more about the Airport Authority that aggravates me.
After hundreds of thousands of dollars, the AA recommended and put on the election ballot that they pursue a joint-use airport at the former Miramar Naval Air Station. That’s all they could conclude after years of study. We all know that was defeated by the voters, including my negative vote, although I would gain from a relocation of the airport. It was a dumb, nonbinding proposal.
But now, we have an extensive reuse plan by the AA for Lindbergh Field. The Beacon reporter would have us believe that it affects Point Loma residents, and it does, but it is much broader than that. It will affect all travelers in San Diego County for years. I understand that the AA has invited comments until February from the public on their “master plan.”
Too bad they didn’t do that before the Miramar cop-out.
I have a number of questions:
1. Why did Miramar get on the ballot, but this “reuse master plan” is not scheduled for the ballot to my knowledge?
2. Did the defeat of Miramar somehow give voter authorization and approval for long-term use and expansion of Lindbergh? I didn’t understand that my vote did that.
3. Are all the study results that eliminated Lindbergh as a viable site now suddenly viable?
4. How much is safety considered? We all know there are no major hospitals on Point Loma.
I would think that frequent business travelers in the county would have opinions about the airport. A new airport location would have better access with train and trolley service. The Downtown business traffic would be avoided. Perhaps even larger parking facilities on the airport grounds would be provided. These busy people are not going to respond to the AA invitation for comments. And the NIMBY [not in my backyard people] in the north, south and east certainly won’t either, hoping the whole relocation issue goes away. What is the AA doing to the long-range transportation plans of San Diego County? Locked into a postage-stamp-size airport with one runway? How sad.