Developer Has Demanded The City Close The Airport To Accommodate Resort

The Cloverdale, CA City Council is expected to discuss on Tuesday whether to give in to a developer's demand to close the city's airport (O60) because it would interfere with a planned $200 million resort and equestrian center on property adjacent to the field.

The council is expected to take public comments on the topic at its meeting on Tuesday. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. local time.

Laumina Development LLC, which is planning to build the resort, has offered to foot the more than $7 million cost of closing the airport. They say that the airplanes operating at the airport would spook the horses at the equestrian center, and that guests and residents of the exclusive resort would also be disturbed by the aircraft.

Advocacy groups including AOPA, aircraft owners and tenants at the airport have already indicated that they plan to oppose any effort to close the facility. Seventeen airplanes, and 20 tenants, including a skydiving operation, call Cloverdale Municipal Airport home.

The airport manager told the Press Democrat newspaper that there will be strong opposition to closing the facility. He points to its use by emergency medical and firefighting operations, as well as its role as a reliever airport for Santa Rosa and Ukiah airports. The FAA has traditionally be very reluctant to allow municipalities to close airports, generally only allowing closure when a replacement airport has been approved or built.

But there is also the usual anti-airport faction in the area, which has expressed concern about noise and safety particularly regarding the skydiving operation at O60.

Mayor Bob Cox told the paper Friday that he has no real sense as to which way a vote would go. But, he said, even if the vote on the council is unanimous to close the airport, the FAA ... as it has in Santa Monica, CA ... could still say "no."

FMI: www.cloverdale.net