SANTA PAULA : Man Can’t Rebuild House Near Airport

The Santa Paula City Council on Monday rejected the request of a second resident to rebuild a house destroyed in a fiery plane crash in August, saying the city plans to create a 1,200-foot-wide safety zone around the airport.

On a 4-1 vote with Councilman Alfonso Urias objecting, the council turned down the bid of Rafael Rodriguez to rebuild a rental house that he owned on Santa Clara Street just east of the airport.

The house was destroyed Aug. 27 when a small plane crashed and burst into flames after a midair collision, gutting two residences and killing pilot William Clark, a crop-duster from Buttonwillow.

In December, the council rejected a similar request from Joe Garcia, owner of the other burned-out home.

The county’s Airport Land Use Commission had already rejected applications by Rodriguez and Garcia to rebuild within the inner safety zone that the commission created around the Santa Paula Airport in 1991. There are about two dozen houses in the existing safety zone.

In rejecting the request, the council said the city plans to compensate Rodriguez with state airport funds that the Ventura County Transportation Commission has agreed to make available to Santa Paula.

But to qualify for the state aid, Santa Paula must amend its General Plan to prohibit building in the airport safety zone. City Administrator Arnold Dowdy said the council will consider the plan amendment within weeks.