DEL REY OAKS – After hearing from Del Rey Oaks residents at two workshops last week, the ball is in the Monterey Regional Airport’s court on whether or not to proceed with the application process for its proposed access road via Del Rey Gardens Drive in the city.
An estimated 125 people attended the city-hosted workshops in Del Rey Oaks city hall over the two days.
By Saturday’s workshop the city of about 1,600 residents had received 66 post cards and 16 letters in opposition to the proposed road.
“What was discussed in the past, is in the past,” said Alison Kerr, Del Rey Oaks mayor at the beginning of Thursday’s workshop, viewed online at https://www.delreyoaks.org/city-council-meetings.htm. “We have a new decision-making board and so I just want to clear the air on that.”
There was a glitch with the video for Saturday’s gathering but the minutes can be viewed at https://www.delreyoaks.org/userfiles/file/City_Council/Minutes/20190713.pdf
Many attendees of the workshops voiced their opposition to a new north side access road that would, if approved, connect 44 hangars, the Navy flying club and fire station, citing increased traffic, noise, and possibly decreased property values.
“An increase in traffic could cause property values to decrease, however, it would be hard to quantify,” said Steve Vagnini, Monterey County assessor via email.
One Del Rey Oaks resident asked if traffic will be worse because of people coming and going to the terminal, but Mike La Pier, Monterey Regional Airport executive director said the road would never be a road to drop off or pick up people at the terminal.
“Once Airport Road is closed on one end, there will be no ‘through’ traffic between the two roads,” said Judi Krauss, Coffman Associates airport consultant.
One of the main concerns of Del Rey Oaks citizens in opposition to the road is the 92 average daily trips projected once it is opened. The Airport Master Plan quoted 7,000 trips in a worst case scenario in the environmental impact review for light industrial required by the California Environmental Quality Act.
Gary Kreeger who is on the planning commission encourages everyone to read the EIR and the Airport Master Plan and be informed. http://monterey.airportstudy.com/master-plan/
Mayor Kerr voiced the concern that if the hangars are moved the noise from planes would increase and asked if sound studies had been done for residents on Rosita Road.
Krauss said the sound study had been done but it measured all sounds including vehicles and that moving hangars from south to north would not make a measurable difference.
Mayor Kerr’s vision for the proceedings was for “an opportunity for a dialogue of discovery” from the airport to hear Del Rey Oaks citizens’ thoughts and to hear more about the project.
La Pier said his takeaway from the sessions is there remains a significant amount of misinformation and miscommunication, regarding the request, circulating in the community. He said the airport representatives did their best to help those in attendance understand the correct information.
“The airport will next decide if it wants to apply for the general plan amendment. If it does the airport will need to submit the application forms, pay the fee, and place on deposit with the city the cost for doing the environmental review and application process,” said Del Rey Oaks City Manager, Dino Pick.
La Pier said the airport received the scope of work and the formal application last Thursday prior to the first workshop.
“We will analyze the document and determine our next steps,” said La Pier.
The scope of work is roughly $175,000 for the environmental review and the fee is 10% or $17,500. Once the city has paid the fee, the deposit is on hand, and the forms are completed, it will consider the submitted application. Processing the application will take somewhere between two and four months.
“Then expect the application to be heard by the planning commission,” said Pick. “Depending on how the process is evolving, there may be more workshops.”
Once the Planning Commission makes a decision, it can be appealed to the city council. The approving body is the Planning Commission but City Council can pull it up if it wants to be the deciding body or on appeal, the council would be the decision maker.
The airport had previously requested a northside access road a number of years ago and it was not approved by the Planning Commission, said Pick.
“The next public outreach that will occur will be part of the environmental review process associated with the general plan amendment,” said La Pier.
