Decision on Airport Study Postponed

Ventura County supervisors agreed Tuesday to postpone approving a study on proposed runway improvements at Camarillo Airport because of concerns expressed by city officials over the potential for increased air traffic.

The Camarillo Airport Authority has proposed a study on extending the runway and building a second runway as part of a long-term master plan.

But Supervisor Maggie Kildee, whose district includes Camarillo, said she shared the same concerns as local officials that extending the runway could lead to more flights and more noise for neighborhoods.

Supervisor Judy Mikels, on the other hand, said she believed the county should do the study because it would help determine how much noise would result from the improvements.

Mikels, whose husband is an Air Force pilot, said a second runway might actually reduce noise because it would mean planes could land and take off more quickly, rather than lingering in the air or on the ground.

The supervisors decided to postpone a decision on the runway study for a week to gather more information.

The board also postponed approval of the Oxnard Airport master plan, a long-term plan for that facility.