Minutes of the Ad Hoc Airport Advisory Committee 4/20/97 (revised) The Little River Airport Ad Hoc Airport Advisory Committee met on Sunday, 20 April 1997 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm in the Clubhouse at The Woods, 43300 Little River Airport Road, Little River. Six committee members were present: Joel Bornstein, Trey Loy, Jack Reichel, Tim Scully, Fran Tucker, and Ray Yates. Two Members of the Board of Supervisors of Mendocino County, Patti Campbell and Michael Delbar, attended the meeting. 54 citizens attended the meeting: Joanna Ahrens, Richard Ahrens, Steven Antler, Joan Arnett, Orval Arnett, Ralph Ascensio, Judith Barry, Andy Becker, Chalaow Becker, Marilyn Boese, Neil Boyle, Celia Brewer, Dave Brewer, Patricia Brown, Tris Coffin, Paula Cohen, Gail Diamond, Skip Diamond, Rose Daencer, Lee Edmundson, Donna Feiner, Richard Gallagher, Red Hamilton, Arthur Hatcher, Melissa Hayes, Liz Irwin, Helen Jacobs, Lauren Jones, D.J.Jones, Carla Jupiter, Linda Jupiter, Ken Kearney, David Lackey, Sydelle Lapidus, John Larsen, Sam Levine, Art Love, Dorothy Love, Mel McKinney, Ed Merle, John Merriman, Keith Paulson, Lily Ricardi, Stanley Townsend (of DPW), Jason Tredt, Willow Tredt, Jay Tscharner, Cove Wervell, Grant Wheeler, Diana Wiederman, and 4 others. We agreed that the next Ad Hoc meeting will take place Sunday, May 4 from 4-6pm at Coast Flyers. Minutes ------- The minutes of the last meeting were approved. Patti Campbell introduced herself, Michael Delbar and Stanley Townsend. She explained that they were mainly at the meeting to listen. Tim gave a synopsis of the history of the Ad Hoc Committee. The establishment of an airport advisory committee was one of the original goals of the Ad Hoc Committee. Jack Reichel reported on how the Concord AAC was organized and provided information on the Brown Act in a report dated March 1995. The committee worked on other issues for the balance of 1995, but was asked in January 1996 by the Health, Welfare, Planning and Transportation committee to follow up on the AAC idea and to prepare a draft set of by-laws. We held a series of meetings during 1996, refining a set of draft by-laws which we delivered to the Supervisors in November 1996. In response to comments from the Supervisors we revised the draft by-laws and delivered a revised draft in December of 1996. A resolution to form an Airport Advisory Committee was drafted by County Counsel in late 1996, commented on by Budge Cambpell and reviewed by the Ad Hoc Committee. We provided our input to the Supervisors in a 12/15/96 HWP&T meeting. Some of the key points we agreed on last December were: - the purposes of the AAC include: - providing a public forum for airing of any issues involving the airport - to provide a community based group which can work actively to research issues of importance to neighbors and users of the airport in addition to any issues referred to it by the County - to try to find a balance between the needs of the various groups involved - users of the airport, neighbors of the airport, citizens of the larger community and the county The new year brought us a mostly new Board. The draft resolution from last year has been rewritten again, undoing some of the work from last year. The Health, Welfare, Planning and Transportation committee met last month to consider Budge Campbell's comments on this new draft. Today we will discuss the Ad Hoc Committe's comments and to hear your comments. The Ad Hoc Committee has three concerns about the draft resolution 1) as it stands, the resolution puts too much emphasis on advancing and promoting the interests of aviation and not enough on balancing the needs to users and neighbors of the airport. We see consensus building as being a key function of the AAC. After discussion, we agreed that we'd prefer to see section 2 A, B and C resequenced as B, C and then A. 2) 2A change "adavance and promote" to "balance". 3) Section 3 "A". The committee agreed that it is crucial that the AAC have the authority to initiate discussions and investigations independently. Lee Edmundson ------------- a Mendocino resident, said he had looked at the by-laws and the resolution and sees many contradictions. He's glad to see the purposes and objectives restacked. He said that future development of the airport is implicit in the draft resolution. It should not be a mandate for development. He listed a few specific areas of concern: 3F - change to "shall hear" comments from community 4D - qualifications - why are 2 of 7 allowed to be nonresidents? What business is it of non-residents? 4H - removal - not all personalities fit together, cliques form. Members should only be removed for cause. - Is the airport in the coastal zone? - What about environmental considerations? - County zoning in the Coastal Zone should be in the resolution. Patti Cambell said that she'd like people to submit written comments. Someone asked what is the time window? Patti doesn't know the date of the vote, perhaps in the next 2 weeks. Why weren't more Mendocino County airports included in the survey? Patti asked people to write down their names and addresses. Diana Wiedeman --------------- an Albion resident, impacted by airport use said: - not supporting "advance and promote" - protect "rural residental" nature of the community - consider pygmy forest, transportation impact and noise impact - makeup weighted in favor of business and pilots - she sees them as both being pro-growth - she suggests 2 pilots, 2 nearby neighbors, 2 more distant "environmental" neighbors and one business person. - she wants more focus on environmental concerns - alternately, create a second committee with no pilots - she thinks the current committee represses dissenting views - a lot of concerned citizens are afraid to sit on a board so heavily weighted with pilots - major planning issues are involved here: property values, State Parks, etc. - a full EIR study MUST undoubtedly be done, probably at great cost to the County - there must be a broad based report Liz Irwin --------- a Little River resident. The rural residential zoning of the area needs to be preserved. Posible changes at the airport strike terror in the hearts of residents. What changes are planned? Patti said she is not aware of any major changes planned. The issues she is aware of are: - management of the airport - hangar issues - airport advisory committee - possible instrument approach Liz emphasized the economic importance of the area in its present state. The bed tax is especially important.Who will come to visit if there is a busy airport? Liz favors two separate committees that work separately and come together periodically. Sydelle Lapidus --------------- read a letter from Tom Wodetsky. (I didn't get a copy) - Tom thinks the current committee is a tool of the pilots, with 1 exception - he favors a committee with 2 pilots, 2 nearby neighbors, 2 more distant neighbors and one business person. - alternately, he favors two separate committees - he is concerned about preserving the parks Dorothy Love ? ------------ from Albion - brought a petition addressed to the pilots (I didn't get a copy). - Airplanes fly over our homes - we want them to be at higher altitudes - why are non-county residents allowed on the committee? - 2A - promoting - this is unbearable in Albion - traffic has been increasing D.J. Jones ---------- from Middle Ridge. On weekends the noise is extremely unpleasant. The proposed committee is unfair, with only 3 members opposed to expansion. It is land owners and non-pilots who are opposed to expansion. No one wants to serve on a committee rigged to serve the needs of business. Sent a FAX and never got an answer. Jack Reichel: What expansion? Patti: GPS and hangars. Noise abatement may possibly lead to curfews. An instrument approach might make it easier for pilots to live with a curfew. Patricia Brown -------------- ... pleading to maintain quality of life. She read a letter from Arlene Lind, who protests any alteration of the current traffic flow. - She opposes the current resolution because it doesn't fairly address environmental impact. - The committee is biased toward pilots and businesspeople. - She wants the section on community meetings to emphasize balancing needs - she wants the historical district of Mendocino to be added as a consideration - She wants 2 pilots, 2 nearby neighbors, 2 environmental neighbors and one business person on the committee. - She wants all 7 to be local residents. - Removal should only be for cause, with a unanimous vote. - She is concerned about "advance and promote" in the purpose and objectives section. - She wants language about protecting the environment and protecting the rural residential character Ken Kearney ----------- is a new resident, but has been visiting for 12 years. The stuff coming from the Ad Hoc Committee has been excellant. At least 3 pilots are needed to provide input. Sam Levine ---------- Has a house near Liz Irwin's, right at the end of the airport. He's a pilot who is with Angel Flight. He explained that Angel Flight is staffed by volunteer pilots and non-pilots who provide free air transportation to indigent patients and their families, to and from the hospital. He pointed out that the airport and pilots provide valuable services to the community. Melissa Hays ------------ works in the Mendocino Post Office and lives in Albion. - Traffic has increased. - Stop any future development - She lived in San Diego near the airport. The traffic pattern was changed there and the noise level at her home was awful. Glasses broke. The neighbors had no power. - There is a conflict between residental use and aircraft noise. - Stop development. Keep it the way it is. - She is interested in serving on the committee Keith Paulson ------------- is a pilot, grew up in Concord and watched Buchanan develop into a very busy airport. He understands the concerns of the airport's neighbors. - He heard the claim that traffic has increased. There are fewer operations than in the 1970's, which was the heyday of general aviation. There are fewer pilots now. - He'd like to see more data. Are there more visitors? - Much of the concern is based on supposition and anticipation of things that might come to pass. - The proposed GPS approach won't let him (or anyone else) get in on foggy days. He can get in now when the weather is good enough for the GPS approach, the difference is that with the GPS approach his flight path will be direct and will have less noise impact then flying at a low altitude for a long distance. - The proposed approach is not a precision approach and will not make Little River and all-weather airport. - He said that the number of unflyable days is small. He only has to leave his airplane elsewhere 4 or 5 times a year due to weather - Forming an AAC is a good idea - What's an "environmental neighbor"? Jack Reichel ------------ - will noise get worse? Little River didn't have a noise abatement policy. The Ad Hoc Committee worked on this issue for nearly two years. We have hammered out a noise policy that's pretty good. Departing planes reduce power and turn left. Most noise problems are with departures. It is taking time to get the policy published in pilot guides, etc. We should see a slow improvement in noise as the policy is in the hands of more pilots. Woman in back ------------- - will there be a curfew? - aircraft taking off at 6am wake me up Judith Barry ------------ a 16 year Little River resident who bought property near the airport because it was cheaper. She knew there would be aircraft noise. "We make the best of things". There has been no increase in air traffic in the last 16 years, but there has been a great increase in highway traffic. Diane Wiedeman --------------- There is more air traffic. There isn't a traffic log at the airport. There is something wrong with this picture. They say it isn't in the airport manager's job description. Traffic records should be kept. Will this "new altimeter setting technology" [sic] increase density of traffic? She [mis]quoted Tim as saying that it would increase traffic by 10%. She says that more traffic is unacceptable. Ed Merle -------- lives in Ft. Bragg and is a pilot. At one time he lived next to the airport, off the end of Runway 29, not far from Liz Irwin. He didn't notice any degredation in the quality of life due to the airport. He doesn't want to see the airport expanded. Airport use has declined. The airport isn't expanding. The polarized "them and us" attitude of some of the speakers worries him. Mel McKinney ------------ was a pilot, isn't any longer. He flew in and out for 15 years. He suggests that everyone remember that the operative word is "advisory". This committee will only be making recommendations to the Supervisors, not making final decisions. Three pilots on the committee is an absolute minimum and more would be better. Pilots aren't ogres, they are responsible people. He is concerned about the lack of expertise of the nonpilot members. Consider running a harbor with people who don't know anything about boats or a railroad with people who know nothing about trains. Fran Tucker ----------- is a nonpilot member of the committee. She is a business-person, managing The Woods, and a resident. She is not a political person, and plans to remain on the committee only until it becomes official. She is concerned that the official committee will become politicized. The existing committee has tried hard to fairly represent community concerns. Her advice to future members: bring all sides to the table. Jay Tscharner ------------- is a user of the airport who lives in Ft. Bragg. He is a local pilot who commutes to Lodi. He treats the airport as a very valuable asset and tries to communicate that to other pilots. Regular users of the airport are very respectful of the community. Liz Irwin --------- we need more data Patti ----- Getting more data is good. Art Love -------- is a non-pilot who lives north of Mendocino. He has flown out of Little River twice as a passenger. We should commend the present committee. It has hammered out a noise abatement policy, a hangar policy and more. He is concerned about remarks that paint pilots as not being human. Most pilots are environmentally sound. The president of the local Chamber of Commerce was unable to attend but asked Art to say that the Chamber favors the GPS approach as a safety improvement. Let the committee work on the approach and on the bylawys. Dave Brewer ----------- is a pilot who lives 1 miles from the runway, under the traffic pattern. He is not oblivious to noise. He believes that a two committee approach would be a mistake. Get involved with the existing committee, try it. Tim Scully ---------- Although the airport has not kept records of traffic, it does have records of fuel sales and these have declined. Albion Resident --------------- Gas sales are not a good measure of traffic, which is probably mostly tourists. Tourists who drive here often buy their fuel in Ukiah. What is the relationship between operations per year and population at the airports that were surveyed? Trey Loy -------- has been on the committee for two years. The pilots have a separate committee. The Ad Hoc Committee is very important as a melting pot. There is too much quibbling over how many of each side should be on the committee. Trey is concerned about Section 2F (hearings). These should be community meetings and not hearings. The committee will not hear and pass judgement, we want all information to come from all people and will pass it on to the Supervisors. The Supervisors should work with Neil Boyle, reporter for the Beacon, and be sure the date for the full Board vote is published. Section 4H - the committee should not be removing members, leave that to the Supervisors. Patti ----- 3 F (hearings) - has been amended to community meetings, meetings and hearings. She will keep Neil informed. There was good publicity on this meeting. We agreed to meet next on May 4 at 4pm at Coast Flyers. The agenda will be: - approve minutes of previous meeting - reports on recent events - official Airport Advisory Committee - GPS instrument approach - agree on agenda for next meeting Ad Hoc Airport Committee voting members: ----------------------------------------- Joel Bornstein pilot, flight instructor lives near airport Trey Loy non-pilot, lives near airport Jack Reichel pilot, businessman Tim Scully pilot, computer programmer, lives near airport commutes by air to Oakland weekly Ray Yates non-pilot, Albion businessman Fran Tucker non-pilot, neighbor of the airport manages the Woods Ad Hoc Committee alternate members: ----------------------------------- Michael Moore pilot, economist Dick Ahrens pilot airport neighbor Susan Winding airport neighbor, non-pilot, local business owner