AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2008 - (Page 16a) AOPAACTION California Edition COMPILED BY ALTON K. MARSH What AOPA is doing for California Corona midair prompts legal action T he recent midair crash of a Cessna 150 and 172 a mile south of Corona Municipal Airport has once again “We must protect neighborhoods from the noise that comes from active airports, but we also need to protect airports from safety threats that result when development hems in airports,” Negrete McLeod said. “It’s just plain common sense to sort out these problems before we have accidents and lawsuits.” Her legislation will tighten up the state law by requiring an airpor t land use commission in ever y county with a public use airpor t. Her bill will strongly affect Marin, San Bernardino, Kern, and Santa Cruz counties, and those are the counties most likely to mount a strong opposition to the bill. Negrete McLeod chairs the Senate Local Government Committee which will hear her bill in March. “I know that better planning won’t solve every problem, but it’s time to make public safety and smart land use decisions our priorities,” Negrete McLeod said. “California’s population has doubled since 1967, and so has the importance of making smart land use decisions.” AOPA will offer strong support for the bill. “The bill is intended to get back to the original intent of the law, which was to protect people on the ground and protect airports from development,” said John Pfeifer, AOPA California regional representative. not persuade local officials to change zoning from industrial to residential. The airport badly needs extra land on which to build hangars, so the site is being watched closely by airport officials to see if it becomes available. In general, the airport has enjoyed good relations with local officials, especially since the forest-fire tanker began using the airport as a base. Other forms of cooperation include the sharing of tax revenues the airport needs to remain viable. “The supervisors value the airport,” Marshall said. The airport has four special development areas near it that AOPA continues to watch. pointed to the need for good land-use planning near airports. One of the aircraft disintegrated while a second spiraled down on a car dealership. All four people aboard the two aircraft, plus one person on the ground were killed. The present California law, in existence since 1967, to prevent development near airports, has become weakened over time, allowing businesses and homes to be located in potentially dangerous areas. State Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-Chino) will soon introduce a bill to improve safety. “[This] tragic accident shows the need to protect public safety around airports,” Negrete McLeod said, referring to the Corona crash. Senator Negrete McLeod’s legislation will strengthen the state laws governing land use around public airports. In 1967, state legislators required local officials to set up airport land use commissions to reduce conflicts over public safety and noise at airports with scheduled commercial flights. In 1984, legislators expanded this requirement to all public use airports, including general aviation airports such as the one in Corona. But a bill in 1993 let counties disband their airport land use commissions, allowing cities and counties to regulate land use. Development watched at Grass Valley airport evada County Air Park at Grass Valley is under watch by AOPA to assure no development problems arise. Airport Support Network volunteer Bruce Marlowe is conferring with leaders of the Loma Rica Ranch development southwest of the airport to determine if any issues arise that could affect the airport. N Airport Manager Greg Marshall said cooperation has been good with the development concerning air traffic arrival paths, housing density issues, and aviation easements. He added that the community has been cooperative. Another proposed development on the north property line of the airport has failed after the developer decided not to proceed. He had planned for 20 airport community homes with taxiway access to the airport. However, the developer could Volunteer needed at Tehachapi Airport OPA needs an Airport Support Network (ASN) volunteer to watch over Tehachapi Municipal Airport on behalf of AOPA and, like Paul Revere, sound AOPA PILOT • 16-A • MARCH 2008 A
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