Airport panel: Time to draw master plan

By DON JERGLER
Valley Press Aerospace Writer

Los Angeles World Airports commissioners issued a request for proposals to pay a firm to map out a plan for developing Palmdale and Ontario airports.

The plan also will focus on efforts to market Palmdale to commercial airlines.

During the board meeting, airport commissioners also freed up 200 acres being leased to Lancaster-based Sonrise{cq} Farms, which the board called the focal point of Los Angeles World Airports' efforts to market Palmdale Airport.

"I think that it's an exciting step," said Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford. "I think it's a good step for us."

Los Angeles World Airports intends to work with the city, using studies compiled by the Palmdale Airport Working Group, which has met throughout the past few years in various subcommittees to find ways to bring the airport on line, Ledford said.

"The master plan will take all of our work to date and put it in a formalized master document," he said.

Jim Ritchie, Los Angeles World Airports' deputy executive director for long-range planning, said approval of the RFP for Palmdale and Ontario airports was in preparation for introduction of a master plan for expansion of Los Angeles International Airport.

"The timing is perfect now to focus on our other airports and address regional demands," he said.

"We want to demonstrate that we have regional responsibilities that reside at LAX and we have regional responsibilities that reside at Ontario and we want to explore the regional opportunities at Palmdale," he said. "It is really the next logical step as the LAX master plan goes into public review."

Los Angeles World Airports has been criticized for focusing efforts on LAX expansion instead of developing outlying airports.

Critics of LAX expansion have expressed concern over increased air and noise pollution concerns as well as worsening traffic congestion in their battle against the master plan, pushed by Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan and Los Angeles World Airports.

L.A. Councilwoman Ruth Galanter is an outspoken opponent against the expansion of LAX, and has also been vocal in her quest to market Palmdale Airport.

Galanter successfully lobbied fellow council members last month to pledge the L.A. City Council's support to market Palmdale Airport.

"We're pleased that LAWA has finally taken this step," said Niki Tennant, a spokeswoman for Galanter, "since the (L.A. City) Council unanimously urged them to develop a master plan for Palmdale and Ontario on a parallel track with a master plan for LAX. However, it remains to be seen how quickly LAWA will develop the Palmdale master plan."

That development would start as early as spring, Ritchie said.

"I would hope that by no later than March we have an RFP on the street," he said.

Los Angeles World Airports owns and operates four airports - LAX, Palmdale, Ontario and Van Nuys. The board's intention to expand LAX and marketing outlying airports is in response to projections that show the region's aviation demands increasing beyond the capacity of LAX.

"We're keenly aware of Southern California Association's aviation demand forecast," he said. "We're doing all we can to encourage growth in the region for all the airports."

SCAG projections for the next 10 years call for 98 million passengers per year to be served in the region.

LAX now serves 65 million passengers per year. The airport was designed in 1984 to handle 40 million passengers per year.

Even with the expansion of LAX, the airport will only be able to accommodate 89 million passengers per year, Ritchie said.

So LAWA is encouraging growth at Palmdale and Ontario to make up for the overrun, Ritchie said.

Growth at Ontario continues on a rapid pace, with increased international activity, including service by Mexicana Airlines and the decision by United Parcel Service to fly out of Ontario to China.

Two other air freight carriers are also asking to be located at Ontario, Ritchie said.

"It's time to start staying ahead of the planning curve in terms of Ontario," he said, adding that the immediate plan for Palmdale is to attract an air carrier.

To do this, LAWA has begun studies on cargo demand and air service demand at Palmdale.

"We're trying to encourage growth of Palmdale Airport," he said. "Certainly the first step is to encourage an air carrier service to start out there."

He added, "We want to be ready to go when aviation demand hits Palmdale - it's inevitable."

The RFP will pay for a consulting firm to bring together planning efforts and data already complied under one umbrella while conducting more studies on how best to market Palmdale Airport.

The studies are expected to better define land use and facilities needed to accommodate future Southern California regional air service demands in the next 20 to 30 years.

Having a master plan for Palmdale Airport could provide an added boost for the local economy.

"Virtually all businesses recognize that developments start with master plans," said Dave Myers, the north county manager for the Los Angeles Economic Development Commission.

Myers said he's fielded many calls from companies inquiring about the status of the airport.

In addition to ongoing highway improvements, having a master plan for developing an airport "will be something we can take to those companies, to show them we are making long-term investment decisions," Myers said.

"I am cautiously optimistic that things are moving in the right direction," Myers said. "It's very encouraging that LAWA has recognized how important marketing efforts are."

The decision to terminate the Sonrise Farm lease on the 200-acre parcel was to help get businesses near airport and would help with the overall master plan, said Charlene Klink, LAWA's spokeswoman for Palmdale regional airport.

Klink added both sides agreed to terminate the lease.

"It's a prime location," Klink said. "In order to market this location to a tenant ... we've got to have it available. It's an excellent location."

The farm land, which yields carrots and onions, is leased by John A. Calandri, who had little to say about the termination of the $12,000-per-year lease, which comes one year early.

"We just simply decided to terminate our lease there," he said. "That's pretty much the outcome of the situation."

Calandri would not comment about any further plans or additional acreage he might obtain to continue farming carrots and onions.

According to Ritchie, the Palmdale Airport study to be undertaken by the consulting firm will primarily involve forecasting, analysis and study to assess the area's aviation-related demand.