Palomar Airport: A Good Neighbor? Blog 75

Do county Palomar Airport expanisons comply with the law or even nice neighbor norms?  The ugly unlandscaped Palomar Airport slopes along Palomar Airport Road and El Camino Real shout “no.” 

If YOU develop land in Carlsbad or the county, you must comply with the California Environmental Quality Act [CEQA] and planning and zoning laws.  A large project triggers landscape requirements.  Greenery is both pretty and mitigates project-induced traffic smog.

But the county ignores rules at Palomar Airport.  In particular, the county has ignored Carlsbad’s 2007 letter to the county for the last 7 years:

“Dear Mr. Drinkwater [Then & Now County Director of Airports]:

“I am writing to express the Planning Department’s concerns over the County’s responsivenes to staff comments, compliance with City and State regulations, and follow through on previous commitments.  …  I refer to the permit proccessing related to … landscaping on the perimeter of the airport property.”                                            

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“… [D]uring the 2004 processing of the parking areas, County and City staff met several times to address the lack of permeter landscaping along the airport property’s frontage with El Camino Real and Palomar Airport Road.  These prime arterials are designated as existing or future scenic corridors and aesthetically pleasing landscaping is an integral part of that designation.”

Despite continued County assertions of cooperation, this issue remains unresolved.  City staff has repeatedly offered  potential solutions to the issues however the County has rejected these solutions as unworkable: the proposed County solution to greening of the perimeter slopes and improving aesthetics is to plant trees in the City’s right of way, which the City would be responasible for maintaining and would assume liability in case of auto collision.”

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“Taken indvidually, these occurences could be seen as aberrations or oversight.  Considered in whole, a troubling pattern emerges.  The City has cooperated with the County …  Meanwhile, the County has not fulfilled an over three year old request for a site plan, has taken a passive role on improving the aesthetics of their site adjacent to scenic roadways, and has been unwilling to comply with requests for required information such as stormwater management reports and Landscape Manual compliance.”   Don Neu, Planning Director [Carlsbad November 5, 2007 letter]

County Supervisor Horn and Carlsbad Mayor Hall say the proposed Palomar 900-foot runway extension is great.  The county and Carlsbad care for you.  Should new Palomar projects proceed when the county can’t honor past duties?

Where is the county compliance with Carlsbad landscaping needs?  Where is  Carlsbad enforcement?  Perhaps the new Carlsbad City Manager Steve Sarkozy can do what his predecessors could not.  Can he earn his $260,000 annual base pay?

It takes 10 years to landscape 3000 feet of ugly slope along two scenic corridors?  Palomar Airport Road & El Camino Real. Really? Carlsbad and county would be on your tail if your noncompliance were so blatant.