Thursday, October 22, 2015, the Palomar Airport Advisory Committee (PAAC) unanimously approved a motion to send the San Diego County Airport Department's (SDAD) recommended motion to the San Diego Board of Supervisors for approval in their December 2015 meeting:

 

"Palomar Airport Advisory Committee recommends that the Board of Supervisors direct staff to proceed with the McClellan-Palomar Airport Master Plan focusing on the modified C/D-III classification as the preferred option, subject to the preparation of a Program-Level Environmental Impact Report."

 

The approval was given despite a number of additional unanswered questions by the PAAC to the SDAD Director, Peter Drinkwater, and his consultant Project Manager, Vince Hourigan, e.g., were asked how much would this recommended option cost.  The answer - $100M not including the runway extension.  Shockingly, there was no follow-up inquiry to what is going to cost $100M if the runway extension is not included.

 

Also, the approval came after the tolerated public comment session that was restricted to three (3) minutes per person.  It must be mentioned the three (3) minutes were strongly enforced for those pointing out the flaws in what had been presented or the conditions that have been unresolved/ignored for years.  The following are just some of what was pointed out needing answers before any vote should have been taken;

 

• There was not even a definition in the Modified C/D-III preferred option on how long the runway would be extended - was it 800, 900 or 1,200 feet?  When asked, the answer from SDAD was 800 feet would be added.  It was then pointed out, 800 feet added to the existing 4,897 runway was 5,697 feet.  The Bombardier Global 8000 (the plane used to justify the need for a runway extension) specifications state it requires "5,800 feet takeoff distance."  After more than two years of study, the recommended modified C/D-III runway will be too short.  OOPS!

 

• In 1999, McClellan-Palomar had 270,000 operations (takeoffs and landings), today, it is projected this year operations will be approximately 120,000.  Why is the county going to spend more than One-Hundred Million Dollars ($100M) on an airport that has lost more than half of its operations since 1999.  OOPS!

 

• Other than serving a few corporate interests who are flying planes larger than the airport is certified to accommodate, is this airport even needed?  Surly, more the $100M can be spent on more productive projects in North County and not destroy the airport's surrounding communities!

 

• Today's airport noise has increased year after year and is now destroying the quality of life in communities surrounding the airport.  With the larger jets will there be more or less noise?  The answer given was there will be less noise.

 

       This answer is not supported by factual 2015 FAA/Metroplex data!  That data shows the noise will increase.  OOPS!

 

With all the above left unanswered - true to form, the PAAC ignored the facts and unanimously approved the SDAD recommended motion.

 

One last fact - the approval was not surprising or unexpected after an article appeared in the San Diego Union Tribune on October 21, 2015, - one day prior to the meeting, quoting Mr. Charles G. "Chuck" Collins,

 

       "The biggest improvement is safety," said Chuck ColIins, chairman of the Palomar Airport Advisory Committee.  "This would make a safer airport.  A longer

       runway gives us more room to address things that aren't expected."

 

Based on SDAD now recommending converting from a B-II airport to a C/D-III Airport and Mr. Collins' reported statement and the lack of concerns on obvious non answers from SDAD and its consultant in the PAAC meeting, it has to be asked:

• As they used to say in the old gangster movies - "Is the fix in?"

• Who's protecting the health, safety, property values and quality of life of the hundreds of thousands of voters and residents of North County?

• Unlike San Diego's Mayor Faulconer, when will Carlsbad's City Council stop its "Deafening Sound of Silence" and step-up to protect its citizens.  The City Council can stop the County from turning Carlsbad into another Point Loma, Newport Beach, Santa Cruz, Santa Monica and numerous other cities around America.