6-16-04 Members of the community representing the Agua Dulce Civic Association and Concerned Citizens of Agua Dulce, with members of the Agua Dulce Town Council observing. met with Supervisor Antonovich and County staff regarding the Agua Dulce Airport.
This meeting was highly professional and well received by Supervisor Antonovich. The video that Joanne Swanson and the community put together really turned some heads and made an impression on the impacts this airport is having on the area.
This was followed by a 20 minute PowerPoint presentation with bullet points and photographs of the issues involved with this thorn in Agua Dulce’s side. Supervisor Antonovich was taking notes along with many of the County Departmental representatives. They all listened attentively. The items brought up included land use and aviation issues, then the meeting progressed to a round table discussion of these issues.
Supervisor Antonovich had scheduled a one-hour time slot for the group, but stayed for 1 hour and 20 minutes. He only left upon his assistant entering the room to inform him he needed to get to a radio interview. The round table discussion continued with County staff members for another hour.
It was surprising at how many Department Head level County staff members were in attendance. We certainly caught their ears (and eyes). For a small community of 3,000 residents in a County of ten million people to be able garner this attention is impressive.
The road is long and narrow, but the path is being traveled to rein this airport into either becoming a good neighbor or ceasing to be an airport. If it must grow, then it must go. This meeting may have scored a first down, but the goal line has yet to be reached. Reaching the goal line will not only depend on successful legal challenges, but being able to exert political pressure as well. Please talk to your neighbors and convince them of the consequences of not standing up now. This airport does have the potential to grow into a smaller version of Van Nuys, but without the noise abatement rules that are in effect there.
A united community can and will prevent that.
The persuasive skills, the emotion and the professional manner in which this small group conducted themselves at the meeting, made me proud to be associated with the people of Agua Dulce.
Ron Bird - Acton