Plan riles Del Rey Oaks, Monterey
MONTEREY >> The Monterey Peninsula Airport District is caught between a rock and a hard place as both the cities of Monterey and Del Rey Oaks have taken issue with a document recently adopted by the airport board on the airport’s master plan environmental impact report.
The city of Monterey has filed a petition for writ of mandate to compel the Monterey Peninsula Airport District to prepare and certify a supplemental environmental impact report for its addendum to the final Airport Master Plan environmental impact report the district board adopted in August.
The airport district board met in closed session on Wednesday to discuss the issue with legal counsel with no action being taken.
“We’re confident in our position,” said Mike La Pier, Monterey Regional Airport executive director. “We know the document and the work behind it.”
La Pier was not able to go into detail or answer specific questions because the issue is “now the subject of potential litigation.”
But millions of dollars in Federal Aviation Administration funding for projects associated with the Airport Master Plan may hang in the balance and the district board needs a resolution to this matter.
The city of Del Rey Oaks was taken aback when the airport district published the addendum in August as it continues to include a north side access road through Del Rey Oaks, but now in its long-term plans, according to city documents.
At a Del Rey Oaks council meeting in March, district board Chair Mary Ann Leffel told the assemblage that the board had decided not to pursue a north side access road through Del Rey Oaks.
Earlier this year, the Federal Aviation Administration determined a proposed access road through Del Rey Oaks was the environmentally preferred alternative but was not feasible because of the city’s general plan. The federal agency determined access would be better served by the existing Airport Road through Monterey.
“Our general plan is clear and the record is clear — there will be no north side road through the city of Del Rey Oaks,” said Del Rey Oaks City Manager Dino Pick.
Pick said the city continues to oppose a north side access road not just because it is prohibited by its general plan, but it is also opposed by the majority of Del Rey Oaks’ residents.
“The Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that Council approve a comment letter for the mayor’s signature reiterating the city’s opposition and articulating its concerns about noise, traffic and environmental impacts,” said Pick.
The Del Rey Oaks City Council will consider the letter at its meeting on Tuesday.
“The city is not planning to file suit regarding the Airport District’s recent (environmental impact report) addendum,” said Pick.
But the city of Monterey did file with Monterey County Superior Court for the writ.
It had previously sent a letter from Mayor Clyde Roberson asking the airport district to reconsider its decision on the addendum to the final environmental impact report on the Monterey Regional Airport Master Plan, which was rejected, said Monterey City Manager Hans Uslar.
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In the letter, Roberson said, “There is a significant disconnect on important technical issues that needs to be addressed.”
Uslar said that in a nutshell, the airport district switched from having an access road from Canyon Del Rey Boulevard through Del Rey Oaks to having public access to the north side general aviation area via Airport Road through the Casanova Oak Knoll neighborhood of Monterey.
“They switched to alternative two without doing due diligence of an environmental review,” said Uslar. “They need to address the traffic impact it may have.”
Uslar said the part of the addendum that also gives the city of Monterey great concern is the relocation of the fire station, which could result in the need for the city to construct its own fire station or restructure fire services.
In his letter to the airport district, Roberson said, “The current contract is beneficial to both the Airport District and (Monterey) from a financial and location perspective.”
But a situation may be created where response times may be delayed, and increased costs for both the city and the district may be realized, said Roberson.
Monterey Airport is required to provide aircraft rescue and firefighting facilities along with a fleet of equipment and properly trained personnel. Staffing was transferred to the city of Monterey in 2013.
The addendum states that it has been prepared to address some changes, minor modifications and additions to the Airport Master Plan environmental impact report certified by the board in November 2018.
According to the document, the proposed project modifications would change the phasing of two of the previously approved short-term components, along with other minor modifications.
1. Relocation of the aircraft rescue and firefighting facility would be moved from Phase One of the short-term program to Phase Two. To ensure consistency with the city of Monterey general plan and neighborhood plan policies, once relocated, the aircraft rescue and firefighting facilities would no longer be a joint-use facility with the city of Monterey but would be used only for on-airport emergencies.
2. Only improvements for a northeast vehicle service road would be constructed in the short-term program. A proposed public connection from the existing east vehicle service road to Del Rey Gardens Drive would be moved from the short-term program to the long-term program.
3. Public access to the north side general aviation area would continue to occur via Airport Road in the short term. Approved improvements to approximately 1,600 linear feet of airport vehicle service road (northeast service road improvement) from the existing east vehicle service road to the terminus of Airport Road at the north (general aviation) apron would still occur. It would provide a construction haul route and a service road to the north (general aviation) area from both sides of the airport but would be gated and not available for public access.
The city of Monterey challenges the airport district board’s decision to approve the modified Final Airport Master Plan and the adopted addendum to its environmental impact report without first preparing and certifying a supplemental or subsequent environmental impact report as required.
“Any project approvals and other entitlements that rely on the Addendum must be overturned,” says Monterey’s petition to the court.