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["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@cwnet.com>]

Friday, March 17, 2000

California’s Crows Landing: From Navy to NASA to county field
GA News


What do you do when you have a 500-acre airport with a pair of 8,000-foot
runways and you don’t want it any more? If you’re NASA, you put it up for
grabs and see who calls. In the case of Crows Landing Naval Air station in
Stanislaus County, California, local government has jumped on the offer.

Crows Landing is located in central California between Modesto and San Jose.
In its heyday it was prized for its remote location.

“Basically it’s a 1950s-era concrete airport,” said George Stillman, Public
Works Director for Stanislaus County. “The Navy used it for testing
equipment and for takeoff and landing practice.”

According to Stillman, when the Navy turned over ownership of nearby Moffett
Field to NASA in the early ’90s, Crows Landing was part of the deal. When
NASA decided it didn’t want to use Crows Landing the field was offered to
local municipalities.

“We’re paying one dollar, so essentially they’re giving it to us,” Stillman
said.

Stillman said the county is taking the land on the basis of future
development, not what is present now.

“The field is basically two strips of concrete and a relatively large apron
area. There are some buildings, but they’re in pretty sad shape. There is an
old control tower, but it has been stripped.”

Like many former military bases, Crows Landing needs some environmental
clean up.

“It’s mostly petroleum products, spilled gas and kerosene,” said Stillman.
“The Navy is responsible for that. They will repair and in some cases remove
underground tanks.”

The conditions set forth in the deed will dictate what kind of development
happens at the site. Stillman is adamant it will remain an airport.

“A viable airport is a big part of the economic development of the west side
of our county. We’re not sure exactly what we will do, but like most local
jurisdictions, we have great plans. We would like to open it for GA
purposes, then do fairly extensive local planning and look for clients. We
want the businesses that come in to be aviation related. We expect the deed
from the Navy within a few months, but until we get the deed and find out
the conditions, we’re pretty much stymied.”

This is one time when airport development probably won’t raise the ire of
the neighbors.

“Crows Landing is very remote,” Stillman explained. “It runs along
Interstate 5 but it’s completely surrounded by farmland. The nearest towns
are Newman and Patterson. They’re both about five miles away.”

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