COLLISION COURSE: THE BATTLE OVER VENTURA’S SKIES : Mugu Airport Idea Has Been Simmering 20 Years

County leaders first began pushing for a public airport at Point Mugu two decades ago. But it was not until 1993 that the Navy, which had suffered a dramatic drop in military flights, offered to share its 11,000-foot world-class runway with airliners.

Since then, hundreds of residents and city and county officials have met dozens of times to study and debate the feasibility of an airport at Point Mugu. A preliminary study found that the airport could attract between 500,000 and 1 million passengers by 2010.

The proposal is now being handed to a Point Mugu joint powers authority, with members from Ventura County and the cities of Oxnard, Ventura, Thousand Oaks and Port Hueneme.

In the coming months the authority will oversee studies on land use around the proposed airport and its impact on the environment.

If the studies go smoothly, the airport could be in operation within five years. But if opponents challenge the findings, it could be delayed.

The organizational details of the joint powers authority are still being hammered out, so there is no telephone or meeting place for the group.

Residents interested in finding out more about the authority and the progress of the airport proposal can check with their county supervisor or city council members.