8-15-03 As you may know there has been a continuing battle with the airport owner and a number of community residents over the airport expansion plans, noise, and his attempts to convert the airport into what is being described as the Agua Dulce Disneyland airport.
The County of Los Angeles has stated in a letter issued on August 15th by Judith Fries, principal deputy county counsel for public works.
In summary it prohibits the following uses at the airport:
Any Aircraft except propeller driven - this means no jets and no helicopters
Sales of alcoholic beverages
Construction of the new maintenance hangar
Public swimming pool
Public soccer fields
Proposed sales of memberships for recreational activities
Use of the property for special events without a valid permit
Filming without a valid filming permit
Proposed sale of parcels not yet illegally created
Display of signs and banners including his freestanding sign
And last but not least, gambling.
Where the community lost is that special permit 1404 is without a time limit and without any limit to the number of aircraft that can be hangered or tied down at the airport subject to a proper plan and adequate clearance from the runway.
He does have a right to build a 20 unit Airtel if he can obtain proper permits. Los Angeles Regional Water Quality has advised this newspaper that the Airtel would not be permitted without constructing a regional sewage treatment plant for the entire community of Acton and Agua Dulce per the restrictions set after the nitrate scare.
The next issue is for the temporary use permit for the country fair. If it is a fair for the community and its invited guests, where local groups can profit from sales, it should be acceptable by the community. The airport's proposal of having a commercial Southern California wide event, including a demolition derby and motorcycle races, is certainly beyond what the community seems to desire.
Think of the oil and car fluids draining from the crashed cars directly into the community's drinking water. And as a sidebar, does the Airpark even have a waste discharge permit?
For all special events including the country fair and the 4th of July, he will now need to obtain a temporary use permit. Members of the community may request reasonable limits on that permit so that it does not affect their lifestyles.
We invite the community to comment on what they think the temporary usages should be at the airport. We will be pleased to publish that information here.
Lets thank the people in Agua Dulce for spending the time, effort and attorney fees to block the Prohibited uses of the airport that its new owners tried without permits.