Aviation International News is reporting that the FAA associate administrator for airports has affirmed an earlier director’s determination that requires the city of Santa Monica, Calif., to keep its airport (SMO) open until 2023.
In a final decision and order, the associate administrator responded to the city’s appeal of the Dec. 4, 2015, director’s determination, which found that the city was obligated by receipt of grant funds to keep the airport open at least until Aug. 27, 2023. The city appealed that determination, and the FAA re-examined the record.
“Based on this re-examination,” the final decision and order noted, “the FAA concludes that the director’s determination is supported by a preponderance of reliable, probative and substantial evidence, and is consistent with applicable law, precedent and FAA policy.”
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This is a good example of why the rest of the US makes fun of things California does. I hope the airport lasts much longer than another 7 years. This fight for SMO reminds me a lot of Meigs Field which I’m still mad about.
I would imagine that the city of Santa Monica will once again challenge this latest ruling and waste more taxpayer dollars doing so. I think there is still a good chance that some portion of SMO will stay open beyond 2023. This would be due to the original instrument of transfer that happened back in WWII.
For Everybody’s Information (FEI). In the mid-seventies I was involved in several GA airport projects. WHEN the FAA funds a local (municipal) or county airport for infrastructure improvements, say for example, $850K , that was “awarded” to West Podunk Municipal Airport on August 19, 1999. the airport is guaranted that it will remain an “airport” for the next (20) twenty years from that date, or to August 19, 2019 – Guess it just depends on the “political” climate at that time? NEXT CASE!
Politicians come and go. Perhaps the anti-airport politicos will be gone in 7 years. Maybe some of the local aviators would be willing to get politically active, i.e. run for office, although I don’t know why anyone would do a foolish thing like that.
So the airport tenants get a 7 year reprieve before it gets turned into condo’s and parks. That leaves very little incentive to maintain or expand the existing facilities and it sets up a rush to get the available hanger/ramp space (if any) at the few remaining airports in the region before the assured closing in 2023.
A short term victory at best…
I understand and feel your frustration. Yet this small victory will certainly offer some relief to tenants and users for a few years. And events, decisions, and circumstances change over time. I am using an airport this summer that was scheduled to close a decade ago. It was a thrill to see dozens of Young Eagles take flight last Saturday at an airport that was give last rites before most of those kids could say “airplane.”