City Officials Fight Runway Expansion

City officials in Camarillo plan to fight a proposal to lengthen the runway at the county-run Camarillo Airport, an expansion plan they said would lead to too many planes and too much noise.

Council members voted unanimously Wednesday to send a letter of opposition to county officials.

In the letter, Mayor David M. Smith said airport officials should not consider the expansion because terms of the agreement between the city and county call for the runway to remain 6,000 feet long.

Rodney L. Murphy, director of airports for Ventura County, has recently completed 20-year master plans for the Camarillo and Oxnard airports. Both documents call for expanding the facilities.

The airport master plans will be considered by county supervisors next month.

A group of pilots also has opposed the Camarillo Airport master plan because of fears that it would allow too many corporate jets and eventually squeeze the pilots out or cause lengthy delays.

“[Expansion] would be good for business,” Smith said. “But it also creates more noise over the city. We’re more concerned with continuing the airport as a general aviation airport rather than a semi-commercial airport.”