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"Airport Authority’s Scheme for Miramar Airport Would Be Disastrous"
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Keep The Airport Where It Is
Assemblyman George Plescia
"The effect of a new 24-hour-a-day International Airport in the middle of our community would destroy the quality of life that we work so hard to protect. Unfortunately, that’s just what some misguided bureaucrats are attempting to do: locate a new International Airport at Miramar."
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| "The DoD, and MCAS Miramar in particular, recognizes that degradation of the land degrades its use for realistic training, and thereby degrades readiness." |
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"Approximately 80 percent of San Diego County's known vernal pool habitats, the breeding ground for the endangered fairy shrimp species, occur aboard Miramar." |
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"Environmental Stewardship is a priority aboard Miramar."
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"Conservation of our cultural and natural resources protects our national heritage, enhances our quality of life and allows continued access to training lands, water and air space for military training and operations."
MCAS Miramar Shareholder's Report 2004
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"Urban Development...Impacts Operational Effectiveness, Training, and Readiness Missions"
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JOINT LAND USE STUDY
PROGRAM
Office of Economic Adjustment
Department of Defense
Most military installations were originally located in remote areas, distant from urban areas due largely to the availability of land and for defense and security purposes. Over time however, installations drew people and businesses closer and closer to take advantage of civilian job opportunities offered by the installation and to provide the goods and services to support the installation’s operations. As urban growth and development increased near and around military installations land use conflicts between base operations and civilian development increased.
Military operations can be loud and present safety concerns for nearby civilian communities. For example, low flying, high performance, military aircraft, create both noise and accident potential during landings, take-off, and training exercises. Likewise, ground-training exercises (e.g., artillery firing ranges, maneuver areas, and aerial bombing ranges) generate impact noise that can adversely affect the surrounding community if the civilian population chooses too locate to close.
Conversely, urban development near the perimeter of active military bases impacts operational effectiveness, training, and readiness missions.
Urban encroachment near a military base if allowed to go unregulated can compromise the utility and effectiveness of the installation and its mission. For example, certain types of land use activities, such as homes, places of assembly (i.e., schools or religious centers), childcare centers, nursing homes, hospitals, restaurants, theaters, shopping centers, etc. often are not compatible uses/activities if located close to military operations. When people and communities are exposed to irritating noise andaccident potential, they seek relief. Typically this results in public pressure on the military base commander to modify or curtail operations or transfer activities to other installations. Mission constraints can lead to base closure.
The commensurate reduction in installation personnel and mission activities can have a direct and detrimental effect on the jurisdiction through reduced economic activity and loss of jobs, impacting the local tax base and economic health. The extent of urban encroachment impacting the operational utility of an installation is one consideration in determining the future viability of an installation.
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Preventing Encroachment
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Buffer Acquisition
MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM G. BOWDON III
"Through last year’s Defense Authorization Bill, Congress granted the authority to military departments to partner with non-governmental organizations, and State and local governments to acquire land adjacent or proximate to military installations to prevent incompatible development, and to preserve habitat that may eliminate or relieve current or anticipated environmental restrictions that could interfere with military training, testing or operations."
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Competitors Preventing Encroachment
Northwest Florida Greenway: 100 square miles of open space stretching from the Apalachicola National Forest and waters of the Gulf of Mexico to Eglin Air Force Base, was purchased in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense and The Nature Conservancy. This historic collaboration represents the most ambitious use to date of the Congressional authority provided to the U.S. Department of Defense approving partnerships with states and nonprofit conservation organizations to preserve habitat and reduce encroachment on military operations. "This groundbreaking partnership affirms Florida's resolute commitment to the environment and our nation's military,” said Governor Bush.
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Southern California Military Greenway Proposal
SB 1462, Kuehl.
"The Department of Defense is interested in long-term programs to protect military training in California... It is therefore necessary to create a program to provide a level of protection to military airspace similar to the programs in Florida and Texas."
"The Environmental Action Plan prepared by the Governor's Environmental Policy Task Force recognizes, as do the States of Florida and Texas with respect to their land uses, that "the military is a key sector of the California economy and environmental stewardship, and California open space resources are vital to the military's national security mission. In evaluating alternatives for California's future, an evaluation should consider how a land use pattern will impact resources necessary for the military's national security mission. These include preservation of California's rural landscape and other open spaces."
"66550. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) Military bases and special use airspace are important to the California economy.
(2) The military needs special use airspace to train.
(3) The development of civilian land uses underneath special use airspace may significantly and adversely diminish the effectiveness of the military's use of this airspace.
(4) Creating a process to identify, avoid, and mitigate threats to special use airspace is essential to California's public health, safety, and welfare.
(b) Accordingly, the Legislature finds and declares that it is the policy of the State of California to:
(1) Protect special use airspace from civilian land uses located beneath this airspace that are incompatible with the military's use of this airspace."
"This bill would create the Southern California Military Greenway Commission comprised of Los Angeles, Ventura, Kern, and Kings , Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties and consisting of 19 specified voting members. The bill would authorize the commission, in consultation with appropriate state agencies and ex officio members and advisory committees among other things , to promote, facilitate, and administer the acquisition of voluntary private and public conservation easements or other voluntary transfers of fee or lesser interests in real property."
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Flawed Argument to Close Miramar...
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"While Miramar is a beautiful base, it is surrounded by a booming urban area whose vocal residents complain about noise, which is why the Navy happily left in 1997...
In addition, training is limited by congested civilian air traffic and quiet time for the locals. Moreover, San Diego needs another airport and Miramar is the only practical location. While these problems are manageable today, imagine the Miramar area in 2020 after the local population, air traffic and road traffic have doubled again. Dispersing Miramar aircraft to other Marine Corps and Navy air stations will save the Corps hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Keep in mind that actions approved by the 2005 BRAC will not become reality until 2007-2009."
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