Some Speculate The Agreement Could Be Voided By Chao

The surprise announcement by the FAA that it would allow Santa Monica Airport to close in 2029 and be turned into parkland by the city may not be the final word in the dispute, according to one journalist.

In an opinion piece published in the Santa Monica Observer, David Ganezer says that the Trump White House would never have agreed to such a settlement, and so was not notified before it was released.

Michael Huerta, the FAA Administrator, is also the acting Secretary of Transportation pending the confirmation of Elaine Chao by the U.S. Senate. Huerta is an Obama appointee, and Santa Monica voted overwhelmingly in favor of Hillary Clinton in 2016. Ganezer says the agreement is a "gift" by the outgoing administration to the City of Santa Monica for its loyalty to Clinton.

The city approved the agreement in a rare, closed-door session on Saturday by a 4-3 vote. The "No" votes came from council members who think 12 years is too long to wait to close the airport, but the City Attorney told them at that closed-door meeting that the window of opportunity to get any settlement was small ... and once Chao is confirmed it might close forever. The council agreed that closing the airport in 12 years was better than not being able to close it at all.

But it may not be the final word, according to Ganezer, who says that while President Obama personally approved the agreement in his final days in office, President Trump and Elaine Chao can reverse it just as easily ... and will likely do so as early as February.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.transportation.gov/key-officials