"Staff's Long Beach Airport Expansion Plan Accepted"

Thursday, September 23, 2004

Staff's Airport Expansion Plan Accepted
By Harry Saltzgaver
The Long Beach (CA) Gazette


A divided Airport Advisory Commission approved a recommendation last
Thursday night to have the city study terminal improvements that could
eventually add nearly 100,000 square feet while replacing the current
temporary facilities.

The 6-3 vote to support a staff recommendation first made two months ago
came after a four-hour hearing before nearly 200 people - most residents of
the Los Altos and California Heights areas, many carrying signs saying "No
Airport Expansion." Nearly three hours of public comment followed a
presentation by consultant Joe Grogan of HNTB offering two reduced-size
alternatives.

City Council members now will decide whether to accept the recommendation
and start the Environmental Impact Review process. The Airport Advisory
Commission will have another special meeting on Sept. 30 to discuss what
should be included in the EIR study - from health issues to traffic impact -
before the council acts. The panel also could ask that specific alternatives
be studied at that time.

Both Grogan and Long Beach Airport Manager Chris Kunze said they stood by
their original recommendation regarding terminal improvements, saying that
project was "minimally adequate" to serve the 4.2 million passengers
expected to travel annually through Long Beach. That projection comes from
the current large jet schedule of 41 daily flights and the 25 "commuter
slots" allowed under the current noise ordinance but not being used at this
time.

Most of the debate last Thursday revolved around whether improvements at the
terminal would spur increased activity at the airport. Residents, including
a group called LBHUSHII, represented by Joe Sopo, contend that the current
number of flights is destroying health and quality of life under the flight
path and that terminal improvements would be an invitation to airlines to
challenge the city's noise ordinance.

"We believe you are sending a message with this terminal expansion," Sopo
said. "With this, you are saying we are open for business. And the airlines
will come."

Kunze, Assistant City Attorney Mike Mais and consulting attorney Michael
Gatzke all said that the size of the terminal had nothing to do with the
defense-ibility of the city's ordinance. Gatzke said other airports,
including John Wayne in Orange County, had attempted to use limited
facilities as an argument against flight expansion and failed.

"Terminal size really doesn't control the number of flights," Kunze said.
"The best way to limit traffic is the number of airplane parking spaces."

There currently are 10 airplane parking spaces, and the recommended plan
would increase that number to 16. However, four of those spaces would be for
commuter planes and would not be activated unless a commuter airline starts
operations. That second phase also impacts a small portion of the increased
hold rooms and airline operations.

While most of the attendees were residents opposed to any terminal
improvements, several of the speakers supported the project. Those included
Lou Ann Bynum, chair of the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce board; Gregg
Whelan, speaking for Strategic Marketing Inc.; Steve Goodling, president and
CEO of the Convention & Visitors Bureau; and Curt Castagna, chair of the
Airport Area Business Association. All said that they supported the flight
limits, but that the terminal was inadequate to handle the current number of
passengers.

One City Council member, Rae Gabelich of the Eighth District, testified
against the staff recommendation. Gabelich, who chaired LBHUSHII before
being elected to the council this year, said she was speaking as a resident.

"A lot of people want a lot of jobs," Gabelich said. "The question is, do we
want to jeopardize our citizens' health for it? Is this a tourist town or a
hometown? Š I urge you not to do this."

Airport Commissioners Douglas Haubert and Bruce Alton both spoke against the
staff proposal. Haubert said that he believed any terminal improvement would
invite a challenge to the city's noise ordinance.

"You tell me we're first in on-time departures in the country, and third in
on-time arrivals," Alton said. "It sounds to me like we're doing just fine
as we are."

Commissioner Bob Luskin made the motion to accept the staff recommendation,
saying that the city had to accommodate the 41 commercial flights and 25
commuter flights. Commissioner Don Temple agreed, saying that no matter what
the city does, someone could challenge the ordinance.

"We're fearful that if we put them (the improvements) in, the ordinance will
be challenged," Temple said. "But we're also fearful that if we don't put
them in, we'll be challenged. It's a guess either way, and in my experience,
when you guess about the future, you lose. We have to deal with what we
have."

Alan Fox, now chair of the commission, tried to reassure the audience that
health issues would be covered in the EIR. He said that the process was just
beginning before saying that he would vote in favor of the staff alternative
as the project to be studied.

Carol Soccio was the third no vote on the recommendation. While Gabelich was
the only council member who spoke, Fourth District Councilman Patrick
O'Donnell and Mayor Beverly O'Neill watched the entire hearing and several
other council members had staff people at the meeting.

No date has been set for the council to debate the scope of the EIR. The
study will take at least six months after the scope's approval, officials
said.


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