Commercial Use of Oxnard Airport

* Any increase in commercial use of Oxnard’s general aviation airport would immediately reduce property values in downtown and west Oxnard, resulting in reduced revenue to the county from those taxes. That is certain to overwhelm any revenue from increased tourism as speculated by the airport expansion proponents.

Oxnard carries a heavy burden from this county-owned facility within the city limits. Already a high school had to be closed for the safety of the students; a replacement had to be built at significant cost and distance from a majority of its students. This imposed financial burdens on those students and their families and results in considerable congestion in nearby streets. Closing the airport would permit the almost immediate reopening of the closed high school.

Further, this airport already depresses the downtown area, is a barrier to any west side development of the city and obliterates potential sites for sorely needed schools, as stated by our mayor.

General aviation uses can readily be handled by Camarillo’s airport, and our commercial needs are already met by the Burbank, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara airports--all of which are about one hour by car from the west county.

For the county supervisors to impose their will on the largest city in the county over the objections of its mayor, City Council and residents is abhorrent and unacceptable.

Close it now. It is no longer needed for its original intended crop dusting use, is not wanted by our city and is not required by the citizens of the county.

BOB KALE

Oxnard