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Airport News, "Bad city policy has impacted San Diego's Brown Field"
Thursday, October 7, 1999
Bad city policy has impacted Brown Field
John E. Jolliffe
Jolliffe is a small-business owner and a board member of the Otay Mesa
Chamber of Commerce and Otay Mesa Planning Group.
San Diego Union-Tribune
For several years, the small-business owners of Otay Mesa have complained
to Mayor Susan Golding, Councilman Juan Vargas and the city staff about the
Brown Field Airport. These complaints center on the fact that Otay Mesa has
very stringent zoning for businesses located outside the airport and no
zoning for businesses located on the airport.
So far, the city seems content with no zoning, describing Brown Field
Airport as "an 886-acre World War II relic in a remote location."
Unfortunately, the result has been the creation of a 1990s airport
industrial slum where the city of San Diego is the slumlord.
Business owners outside the airport are increasingly angry because city
zoning inspectors issue notices of violation to them while their business
competitors on the airport have no inspections. Some business owners
outside the airport have even been put out of business by the city for
noncompliance, while the same noncompliance on the airport goes unnoticed.
In fact city zoning inspectors have been told to stay off the airport by
the city!
To make matters worse, the city charges very reduced rents to airport
tenants who unfairly compete with businesses outside the airport. In one
case the city loses huge amounts of rent because it only charges its auto
and truck parking tenants $400 per month per acre while the fair market
month to month lease rate is $2,500 per month per acre. Multiply this $2100
difference times 30 acres over 12 months and the city loses a staggering
$756,000 per year in rent.
This is but one example of poor property management by the same city that
complains Brown Field Airport is just barely profitable. Better property
managers could collect higher rents and use the money to clean up the
airport.
Even more astonishing is the fact that 65-foot tractor-trailers weighing as
much as 80,000 pounds are operating on narrow airport roads designed for
7,500 pound vehicles. The roads get damaged by this severe overweight
condition, and city taxpayers pay for repairs.
Again, better property managers would charge these truck tenants for the
damage and save the city an estimated $100,000 a year in road repairs.
Public safety liability is also an issue.
Brown Field has tremendous economic potential, but poor property management
by city staff has resulted in the creation of an industrial slum. How do we
fix it?
As recently as April 1999, the Otay Mesa Planning Group, an advisory board
to the city, has recommended these immediate specific actions:
Immediately cease all leasing efforts for new leases of non-aviation
uses until Brown Field adopts a zoning code, preferably the Otay Mesa
Development District (OMDD).
Do not renew or extend any existing lease that does not fully comply
with the existing city zoning codes and guidelines that apply to all other
businesses in Otay Mesa and the city of San Diego.
Form a new task force with city officials and members of the Otay Mesa
community to create an "official" Brown Field policy to be taken to City
Council for approval.
These are simple recommendations that will create a better neighborhood and
level playing field for small businesses in Otay Mesa. Unfortunately, the
City Council is still only in the stage of "let's begin the process," with
no specific immediate action discussed.
Otay Mesa is part of San Diego, and we have waited years for the city to
clean up its act. The city should set the example, not simply create the
rules and follow a policy of "do as I say, not as I do."
The mayor and the City Council would not allow this slum to exist at
Montgomery Field Airport, so why does it exist at Brown Field Airport?
Otay Mesa looks forward to the city of San Diego being a good neighbor
immediately and without more years of waiting.
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