Posts Tagged ‘Oceano Airport’

Los Osos Developer Jeff Edwards is still at it. The second in the series of six “informational” meetings with the intent to bulldoze the airport for development (and profit). Come and make your voice heard! We had great media for the event on March 17th, and were featured on KSBY and the Tribune. We need to send a resounding “no” to closing our beautiful Oceano Airport.

Dozens protest (developer proposed) Oceano airport changes
Developer is trying to get county to close Oceano property, but supervisors have ‘no interest’

Los Osos developer Jeff Edwards’ desire to see the Oceano County Airport closed and redeveloped has caused a groundswell of opposition from local pilots, about 50 of whom showed up to a meeting Wednesday in Grover Beach to protest any change to the airport.

Developer Jeff Edwards has scheduled a March 17 meeting to discuss his unsolicited plan to turn Oceano County Airport, near San Luis Obispo, Calif., into a non-airport property. Meanwhile, Bill Robeson, a city planner who works with the city’s Airport Land Use Commission, told SanLuisObispo.com that when it comes to closing the airport, “none of the hearing bodies for the county are considering it.” But Edwards, a private land planner, sees “enormous potential” for the nearly beachfront property that he says could translate into “significant cash flow to the county if they were to close the airport and lease it for development.” He has advertised his upcoming meeting through a press release, has invited representatives from San Luis Obispo County and candidates running for local positions, and said “the public is encouraged to attend.” Oceano operates a 2325-by-50 foot paved runway and is home to 13 aircraft (10 singles and three ultralights). The facility serves transient pilots and its land-use plan estimates 12,500 operations per year.

A Los Osos developer who hopes to see the Oceano County Airport closed so that it can be redeveloped met with substantial opposition at a meeting on March 17. And, while the developer attempted to keep out most of the pilots who showed up, he didn’t succeed in barring AOPA
(Editor’s Note: This developer stated in advance that he was going to limit the number of pilots attending the meetings. The important point here is for pro-aviation people to attend every meeting he has scheduled and to inform all non-aviation people attending the meetings just how important the airport is).