HUNTINGTON BEACH : Complaints Stall Airport Site Action

After some residents complained of litter at the old Meadowlark Airport, the City Council delayed action for two weeks on a land-use map that would allow commercial and residential development of the site.

The council said Monday night that the city staff should first review a 1989 development agreement to make sure the landowner is fulfilling all responsibilities.

Meadowlark, a small airport that closed in 1989, consists of 63 prime acres immediately west of the Meadowlark Country Club. The Nerio family, which owns the land, proposes to build 600 new homes and a small shopping center there.

The council approved development of the land in a contract, called a development agreement, in 1989. Part of that agreement called for the Nerios to remove former airport buildings from the land.

Cheryle Browning, a resident, told the council Monday night that the airport land remains littered.

“There are still old cars, a boat trailer and so forth on the site, and who monitors this?” Browning asked. “There’s no reason that we should be living among debris.”

Another resident, Sally Graham, also complained to the council about the airport site.

Councilman Victor Leipzig urged his colleagues to delay action on the airport land-use map. “I’d like to wait two weeks so that I can look over the development agreement,” he said.

The council voted 5 to 1 to allow the delay. Councilman Earle Robitaille cast the lone dissenting vote but did not explain his opposition.

City Atty. Gail C. Hutton warned the council that the two-week delay “doesn’t give you a chance to change the development agreement.” She noted that the agreement is a legal contract and cannot be changed by one side.

City Administrator Michael T. Uberuaga said he believes that any litter problem at the airport property is correctable by enforcing city codes.

If approved by the council, the land-use map will divide the airport site into 49 acres for new housing and 14 acres for the shopping center. City planners have said approval of the map is the final stage for beginning construction of the shopping center this spring. Work on the proposed new homes probably cannot begin for about a year, planners said.