Friday, April 22, 2005
Airport authority timing questioned
Imperial Beach cites land-use plan
By Janine Z??iga
The San Diego (CA) Union Tribune
IMPERIAL BEACH ? The City Council is questioning how feasible the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority’s June 30 deadline is for completing a countywide land-use plan. Council members agreed Wednesday to write a letter outlining their concerns and asking for more time to revise their part of the land-use plan.
The city is adjacent to Naval Outlying Field Imperial Beach, also known as Ream Field.
The council also agreed to support any proposed state legislation that would give the airport authority more time to complete its plan. Coronado city officials are asking local political leaders to help write such a bill.
Imperial Beach officials say they are concerned that the portion of the plan dealing with Ream Field is based on an outdated Navy document. The airport authority has contacted Navy officials for help updating the document, according to an airport authority letter dated April 13.
City officials also say they are concerned about future development around Ream Field, including the area in the nearby Tijuana Estuary.
The land-use plan was not on Wednesday’s council agenda. However, the council voted to include the item on the agenda as an urgency issue. The city had received information, including a letter from the airport authority, after the agenda’s deadline.
The letter from airport authority President Thella Bowens, dated April 15, says the airport authority staff will ask the full board for additional time for cities developing plans for nine airports, among them Ream Field. It also will ask the full board to direct its staff to develop a timeline for completing the plans.
City officials are seeking help from Paul Nieto, the airport authority’s South County representative, before submitting their letter. The authority’s strategic planning committee will consider the requests for more time Monday. The full board will consider the requests May 2.
