Los Altos Neighbor

On Tuesday evening, April 24, 2007, the City Council voted on a new size for the Airport Terminal. The vote was 5 to 3. Patrick O’Donnell, Rae Gabelich and Tonya Uranga voted against 89,000 sq. ft. and advocated for a smaller size of 79,000 sq. ft. The majority of Council Members was more concerned about passenger comfort than neighborhood discomfort. The 89,000 sq. ft. passed. Of course, residents in attendance and I were for the smaller terminal size. This could be viewed as another defeat for the neighborhoods, but a second look is in order at this time!

Four years ago no one was paying attention to a minor upgrading of the Long Beach Airport Terminal. In fact, the upgrading was considered so insignificant the City was prepared to declare a Negative Declaration for the improvement. (A negative declaration is for projects that have no negative impact on the environment.) Someone, maybe Rae Gabelich, took a second look at the project and began to question the extent of the improvements. Gabelich was not a Councilperson at the time. The insignificant project was an expansion of the Terminal up to 133,000 sq. ft. Rae held meetings, invited concerned citizens, and educated us. We put the word out to the neighborhoods, organized LBHUSH2, Long Beach Under Stress and Hazard (2 - for the second time the organization was used to protect neighborhoods) and began to resist a project that was on a “fast track” for approval.

Since that time we have all learned more than we ever wanted to know about airports, the environment, how citizens are treated by city staff, politicians and newspapers that have their own agenda. Together we forced the city to provide an Environmental Impact Report on the project, include new environmental safeguards into the project and reduce the overall square footage of the terminal from 133,000 sq. to 89,950 sq. No one should feel defeated!!!

We will need to be ready for the next round. Financing! Who will finance the Airport Expansion Project? The city will propose an Insured Municipal Bond. They will state that taxpayers will be financially protected. (They said that about the Aquarium too!) Remember the benefits the Long Beach Aquarium was to bring to our city? Also, it was to pay for itself from ticket sales. That did not happen. Money that should go to our General Fund to pay for Police, Fire, Libraries, curbs, sidewalks, tree trimming, etc. is used to pay for the Aquarium deficit. Even the name of the Aquarium was changed in an effort to attract more business, “Aquarium of the Pacific.”

JetBlue and other air carriers prospering from the use of our Airport should pay for improvements/expansion of our Airport. The City can repay them through rent credits. This method of financing was used with the temporary hold rooms. Two things will be accomplished this way: One, JetBlue will stay in Long Beach, remember they are on a month to month agreement. Two, if JetBlue pays up front, the expansion will not be as great. Proponents of expansion know this and will do everything they can to use taxpayer’s money. The cost of this project with its current square footage could be amazing. We do not want to use taxpayer’s dollars and we do not want taxpayers guaranteeing the debt of this project!