Airport: Location of Fixed Base Operator
To the neighbors, friends and users of the Santa Monica Airport:
Within the next 30 days, the management of the Santa Monica Airport will solicit bids for a new lease for a Fixed Base Operator (FBO) located on the southwest corner of the airfield. This new lease will run through the year 2015, which coincides with the termination of the 1984 Airport Agreement between the FAA and the city of Santa Monica. The agreement provides for this third FBO. However, the compelling issues of this message are the location and the operations of this facility.
The Master Airport Layout Plan, dated Jan. 31, 1984, which was part of the 1984 agreement, clearly illustrates the North Field locations of all FBOs. As studied by the 1983 Airport Working Group, the 1983 EIR, the 1983 master airport plan study, and as directed by the city manager in 1983, all FBOs were to be relocated to the North Field. Specifically, the 6.5-acre southwest corner was to vacate in 1996 as part of the solution to community noise abatement concerns, which was entrusted to the city of Santa Monica to perform in subsequent years. Two of the FBOs have been relocated. The third was allowed to remain on the southwest corner until its lease expires in 1996.
However, city staff is preparing a Request For Proposals (RFP) that will locate this facility permanently in this southwest location rather than the North Field as intended. If this new lease is successful, it will be a surprise to those who fought so hard and for so long to reach an equitable balance between the continuation of general aviation at Santa Monica Airport and the buffer zones for noise mitigation purposes. It will also surprise residents who purchased their properties after the 1984 agreement and were told that all the FBOs would be moved to the North Field, not to mention those other South Field airport tenants who were forced to relocate in years past.
In addition to the location issue, it is important to understand that the present “jet service” of turbine aircraft may not only be continuing until the year 2015, but will have a 20-year lease that will enable it to expand and make capital improvements to the facilities to accommodate a wider range of the turbine (jet) fleet as well as helicopters throughout the world. This will include aircraft sales and leasing, full fuel services, airframe and engine maintenance, aircraft line services, flight training, storage and air charter/air taxi operations, which is unquestionably not noise mitigating and contrary, again, to the intentions of the 1983 studies, recommendations, and the 1984 agreement. I have proposed that the city specify in the lease that jet aircraft and helicopters are prohibited from any operations at this facility, regardless of its location.
The next airport commission meeting is to be held on (Monday) in the Santa Monica City Council chambers (1685 Main St., 2nd Floor) at 7:30 p.m. I invite all those interested to attend and give the commission your valuable comments on this important and fast-moving issue.
BRIAN H. OUZOUNIAN
Santa Monica Airport
Commissioner
