Would Amend The City Charter To Require Council To Gain Voter Approval Before Closing KSMO

A group of airport supporters in Santa Monica has filed paperwork beginning the process of placing a city charter revision on the November ballot that would require the City Council gain voter approval before they could close any part of the Santa Monica Airport (KSMO).

The move comes just two days after the council again voted unanimously to begin the process of closing the airport despite a federal judge's ruling denying the council control of the airport, and an FAA opinion that the city must operate the airport "into perpetuity" as long as it is located on city-owned land.

The Santa Monica Lookout reports that the ballot initiative would require the collection 6,100 valid signatures on petitions in six months to be placed on the ballot.

The effort is being supported by AOPA, which on its website called the effort to close the parcel a "political game by politicians and special interests who hope to profit from redeveloping 227 acres of Santa Monica. It is clear from their statements and their actions—that the politicians can’t be trusted to maintain a low density land use and therefore it is left to the people to express their vote before the City of Santa Monica takes any action to redevelop Airport land.”

The move comes after a recent poll that appeared to show residents favored the proposed charter revision. But proponents of closing and redeveloping the parcel called it a "push poll" with questions designed to get the answers the group wanted.

The city contends that the land would be made into a public park, but others say they are concerned that it would be used for residential or commercial purposes.

The paper reports that it is unclear who exactly is behind the initiative or who commissioned and conducted the poll.

Frank Grueber, one of the founders of a group called Airport2Park.org that favors the closing told the paper that he is sure the ballot initiative effort would fail. “The only thing we know for sure about this is that they plan to spend a lot of money to try to get their way,” he said. “But they’ll lose.”

FMI: www.aopa.org, www.airport2park.org