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Published on 07/28/1997 All articles from this issue

Moffett study session draws concerned crowd

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By Carol Tiegs

Town Crier Staff Writer

More than 60 people packed Hillview Community Center's room A July 22 for the Los Altos City Council's study session on Moffett Federal Airfield. Due to the high degree of public interest, the council canceled its quarterly study session with the planning commission scheduled for later that night, and allowed extended time for public comment on Moffett.

Twenty-five individuals took advantage of the opportunity to give council their views. Several people came from Mountain View and Sunnyvale. With one exception, all expressed their opposition to any future use of Moffett for air cargo, general or commercial aviation. Speakers urged council to be proactive in drafting a resolution opposing those uses, and to lobby the congressional delegation, specifically Rep. Anna Eshoo.

One organized citizen's group, The Alliance for a New Moffett Field, presented council with a petition in opposition to air cargo and general aviation with more than 550 signatures. Half of the signatures were those of Los Altos residents, said Alliance member Myra Orta. The Alliance was formed in 1996 in reaction to proposed use of Moffett for air cargo flights.

Council members agreed, at the session's conclusion, to direct staff to draft a resolution for review at the Aug. 5 city council meeting.

The council's study session followed publication early this month of the final report of the Joint Cities of Mountain View and Sunnyvale Community Advisory Committee on Moffett Federal Airfield (CAC). The CAC was formed in November 1996 by Mountain View and Sunnyvale city councils. Its charge was to address the revenue shortfall at Moffett by identifying revenue alternatives. The 19-member committee included nine appointees from each city plus a representative of the Santa Clara County Cities Association (SCCCA). Los Altos City Council member Bob Gray has been the SCCCA representative.

"The issue, to be blunt, is whether San Jose would take over (at Moffett)," Gray told fellow council members. "Moffett will be used as an airport unless something is done. We need to help NASA achieve their initiatives or someone else will step in."

NASA Ames' proposed six-point initiatives include: expansion of commercial space product development (flying out Lockheed/Loral satellites);

expanding Ames Technology Commercialization Center;

development of information technology institutes;

development of an astro-biology institute;

development of the California Air and Space Center as a reuse of Hanger 1, and provision of a Bay trail on the northern border.

Since CAC's formation, NASA has stated that it no longer faces financial difficulties and that it no longer supports air cargo uses at Moffett, Gray said.

Gray said he sees an opportunity for a mixed use technical park with housing. He proposed development of a project team to work with NASA.

During public comment, Michael Shuh told council members that it cost NASA $12 million annually to operate Moffett. That cost is currently shared with the Naval Air Reserve, Coast Guard and Air Guard, he said, but 30 percent of that traffic would be withdrawn in 1999.

"We need to help NASA remain as the tenant," Shuh said. "Whatever you (council) do, don't make it so tough that NASA gives up and puts (Moffett) on the surplus lot."

Council member Patricia Williams said that if NASA were to abandon Moffett, the federal government could declare it excess property. Officials would look for new tenants first among other federal agencies, then among state agencies, and then among any other agencies. That would include San Jose International Airport, she said.

"It's not enough for us as a city to say we're opposed (to air cargo and general aviation)," Williams said. "What do we do to support (NASA)? "

The CAC report makes several land use proposals. Those "were developed through a brainstorming process using input from all sources and all suggestions made to CAC," said Jim Mackenzie, senior planner with the Los Altos Planning Department, giving council an overview of CAC. The uses "were not ranked by likelihood or ease of implementation," he said.

By consensus, CAC determined the following land uses to be generally acceptable: air shows, information technology institute(s), astro-biology institute, research and development campus and light industrial park, film studios, air and space center, bay trail expansion and space camp expansion.

CAC, by consensus, also found a convention center and display halls, an aircraft maintenance facility, wetlands expansion, a golf course, U.S. Coast Guard uses and additional housing to be conditionally acceptable land uses.

A warehouse distribution center, a football stadium and a prison and youth correctional center were unanimously rejected as unacceptable.

The committee was split on aviation uses for Moffett. NASA commercial space products transportation was generally acceptable to 13 members and conditionally acceptable to six. Air cargo was conditionally acceptable to 11 members and not acceptable to eight. Five members found general aviation a conditionally acceptable use, but it was unacceptable to 14 members.

Mackenzie said that Mountain View and Sunnyvale are in the best position to affect future uses of Moffett because it lies in their sphere of influence and they have the possibility to annex land there.

"No matter what happens, we have to work with Sunnyvale and Mountain View," said council member Kris Casto. "We need to play up NASA's six initiatives (in the resolution)," she said. "These could be assets for the community."

Mayor Francis La Poll asked council members Casto and Louis Becker to work with staff in drafting the resolution. Becker said he opposes general aviation and air cargo uses at Moffett but wants the resolution to reflect support for NASA.

La Poll urged Los Altans attending the study session not just to say no to aviation without looking at other issues involved. "We need to understand the forces at work in this valley ... to consider other ways to do things," he said.

La Poll asked community members to send their ideas for wording of a draft resolution on Moffett Field to City Manager Dianne Gershuny as soon as possible. Discussion of the draft resolution is scheduled to be on the agenda at the Aug. 5 city council meeting.