The Honorable Michael D. Antonovich Board of Supervisors, County of Los Angeles
869 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 West Temple Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 E-Mail: FifthDistrict@lacbos.org RE: Agua Dulce Airpark -SP1404-(5)
Board of Supervisor Hearing June 27, 2006 Dear Mayor Antonovich, On June 27, 2006, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will decide the fate of a community. Beyond all of the legal opinions, the rules and regulations, and the press releases lay two simple questions, “Will the town of Agua Dulce continue as a rural, equestrian oasis within Los Angeles County or will it become one more victim of relentless urban expansion?”
Secondly, “In the process, will the Board choose to protect the people's environmental resources of clean air, ground water, and natural habitats?” There is no quick, painless response that will leave all constituents satisfied. If the Board of Supervisors chooses to expand or build out Agua Dulce Airpark area homeowners will lose the peaceful, quiet, rural life they sought to find. On the other hand, if the Board of Supervisors rules to greatly limit the scope and size of the Airpark or revokes its permit, they will surely be sued by the airpark owners who seek to greatly expand the size and operations of the facility.
Throughout the last fifty years it tells of the dreams and ambitions of a few wealthy individuals in conflict with the health and welfare of the people of a high desert community set in the Sierra Pelona Valley. In 1958 a small group of Agua Dulce residents approached their neighbors for permission to build a landing strip that would accommodate a few local pilot homeowners. The small, tightly knit community wrote letters of support for the landing strip, not suspecting that a development consortium was behind the request and planned to immediately ask the County for permission to build an airpark. By 1959, the community knew that it had been betrayed and the first of many protests arose from anguished residents who finally understood that they had unwittingly agreed to place an airport in the middle of the town.
Through five decades and thousands of pages of documentation the community fought to either put the genie back in the bottle or, at the least, keep it from growing larger. And in every decade, a new set of leaders arose to fight the every present threat of expansion. Residents of different religious, racial, and political backgrounds put aside their differences, pooled their limited financial resources, and banded together to protect the unique and beautiful little town that they all loved.
The Last Five Years Barry Kirshner purchased Agua Dulce Airpark under the name of Agua Dulce Airpark, LLC. He bought the airpark, despite knowing its dark history and financial ills. Mr. Kirshner quickly discovered that private community airports are not profitable enterprises. He desperately needed financial backing and got it from Wayne Spears, a wealthy local businessman, with an affection for aviation, and who provided over four million dollars to the LLC to keep the operation afloat.
Mr. Kirshner immediately presented his airpark expansion plans to the Town Council. He wanted to build huge new hangars and hangar homes such as he had seen in his home state of Arizona. He wanted a country club, sports facilities, soccer fields, a swimming pool, and airplanes, lots of airplanes. Many, many people protested. There were numerous Town Council meetings to discuss the issue. Meanwhile,
Mr. Kirshner lowered the cost of aviation fuel to attract more aircraft, promoted filming, and special events. The constant noise, dust, and traffic became a nightmare for residents who made numerous complaints to Regional Planning, the Federal Aviation Administration, and to you, Supervisor Antonovich. About a year ago, you properly responded to community complaints by calling for a Revocation/Modification Hearing for the airpark's Special Use Permit1404-(5). In the middle of the process,
Mr. Spears, took over the leadership of Agua Dulce, LLC. He presented himself as the new owner of the airpark and, through his attorneys, used the Regional Planning Commission Revocation/Modification hearing process to obtain an expansion of the 1404 permit, an expansion that had been fought by the people of Agua Dulce for almost half a century.
The hearing's original purpose was subverted to the service of Mr. Spears and his demands for a massive increase in the airport's size and operations. In the end, the Commissioners gave him everything for which he asked, and granted extra growth above that in the original document.
The Regional Planning Commissioners ignored hundreds of letters and petitions from community residents which voiced concerns about increased traffic, lighting, air pollution, and noise pollution. They ignored homeowners' concerns about the dangers to the ground water from fuel runoff and increased waste disposal.
The Commissioners ignored the fact that the airport sits on an ancient alluvial flood plain that replenishes our water table during the rainy season. They showed no concern that covering the floodplain with hundreds of thousands of square feet of impermeable surface will increase downstream flooding for homeowners.
The Commission completely ignored its own noise study that ruled the aircraft too noisy for the community and which recommended an expanded noise study. They also ignored the airpark's proximity to irreplaceable geological formations of Vasquez Rocks and to the century old Pacific Crest Trail.
Today and Tomorrow It is so common today; a wealthy businessman buys a piece of property in a beautiful rural area and then proceeds to make it over into his dream - a golf course - a housing development - a bustling airport. In Agua Dulce,
Mr. Wayne Spears' dream of developing an airport is at odds with the culture, lifestyle, and dreams of the thousands of people who prize the peace and serenity of this unique part of the County. Wayne Spears' dreams will be the nightmare for hundreds of families.
Today, there are less than fifty pilots who live in Agua Dulce. Yet, an entire community will endure the living conditions that accompany a busy airport in order to entertain hundreds of transient pilots in the pursuit of their chosen hobby. The town of Agua Dulce can not survive more aircraft, more noise, and more traffic.
To that end, Concerned Citizens of Agua Dulce is asking the Board of Supervisors to consider the needs of the many over the ambitions of the few. If Mr. Spears gets his wish, this town will be subjected to increased noise and air pollution, contamination of its groundwater sources, and potential damage to its ancient geologic formations. Thus, Concerned Citizens of Agua Dulce is opposed to any expansion of the airport beyond its present size:
· We respectfully request that the Board of Supervisors sponsor a referendum of community opinion prior to any actions taken by the Board of Supervisors · We ask that the Supervisors unanimously reject the Regional Planning Commission's Findings.
Conclusion In this letter, CCAD has chosen to tell the story of this community's struggle with the airpark rather than quoting laws and citing references. CCAD very much wants the Supervisors to see the town and its surroundings as it does, a quiet, rural haven, with an historic and traditional way of life in Los Angeles County that has almost disappeared. To that end, we have provided the Board of Supervisors with a brief visual synopsis of our community. We hope that you will view it and in doing so, understand our commitment to protecting this town and its residents.
Sincerely, James L. Hall President Concerned Citizens of Agua Dulce
33201-4 Agua Dulce Canyon Road Agua Dulce, CA 91390 Cc
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