Item 8-A

Council Meeting: July 10, 2001 Santa Monica, California

TO: Mayor and City Council

FROM: City Staff

SUBJECT: Recommendation to Adopt a Formal Position on the Los Angeles International Airport Master Plan

INTRODUCTION

This report recommends that the City Council adopt a formal position regarding the Los Angeles International Airport Master Plan.

BACKGROUND

The City of Santa Monica has taken a leadership role in consideration of the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Master Plan and regional aviation alternatives. In November 1996, the City Council approved a resolution requesting inclusion of fixed base operator facilities in the LAX Master Plan in order to limit diversion of corporate jets to Santa Monica. In July 1997, the City officially requested that the City of Los Angeles= environmental documentation adequately address all of the impacts of the LAX Master Plan on Santa Monica and the region. In October 1998, the City Council adopted a resolution calling for the formation of a Regional Airport Plan for Southern California to allow for a more equitable and environmentally sound distribution of the costs and benefits of airport development.

During 1999 and 2000, Councilmember O’Connor served on the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Aviation Task Force. The Aviation Task Force considered regional aviation needs and opportunities and developed specific regional airport scenarios. Based on the recommendations of the task force, a regional-based approach to aviation was adopted as part of the final SCAG Regional Transportation Plan.

On January 18, 2001, the City of Los Angeles World Airports Departments (LAWA) and the Federal Aviation Administration released the LAX Master Plan and associated Draft Environmental Impact Report / Environmental Impact Statement (DEIR). The Master Plan was prepared by LAWA to address long-term issues of airport capacity, ground access and environmental impacts. Due to the complexity of issues and the length of the documents, a 180-day review and comment period has been provided, ending on July 25, 2001.

The LAX Master Plan

The LAX Master Plan describes four project alternatives, as follows:

• No Project Alternative: This alternative assumes that no new improvements will be made at LAX before 2015, with the exception of any projects that are already planned at the airport. No major vehicle access improvements would occur. Capacity and operating constraints would limit future annual passenger growth to 79 million annual passengers (MAP) by 2015, the accommodation of 3.1 million annual tons (MAT) of cargo by 2015 and approximately 2,300 daily operations.
• Alternative A - Added Runway, North: This alternative adds a new runway on the north airfield approximately 400 feet north of the existing runways. The efficiency and safety of the taxiway structures on both the north and south airfields would be improved. A new west entrance and terminal with additional aircraft gates, rental car facilities and parking would be added. A people mover would provide passenger access from a new parking garage and the west terminal to new concourses west of the Tom Bradley International Terminal and all other terminals. Cargo facilities would be expanded in the southeast corner of the airport. The improvements included in Alternative A would enable LAX to accommodate 98 MAP, 4.2 MAT of cargo and approximately 2,700 daily operations by 2015. Major vehicle access improvements would include the LAX Expressway, which would provide direct vehicular access from the San Diego (405) Freeway to an airport ring road. In addition, the Green Line would be extended into the airport.
• Alternative B - Added Runway, South: This alternative adds a new runway to the south. The existing southern runways would be relocated north in order to increase the lateral spacing between all three runways. Otherwise, this alternative includes the same features associated with Alternative A: taxiway structure improvements, new west entrance and terminal, people mover, cargo facility expansion, LAX Expressway, and Green Line extension. The alternative would accommodate 98 MAP, 4.2 MAT of cargo and approximately 2,700 daily operations by 2015,
• Alternative C - No Additional Runway: LAWA staff is recommending implementation of this alternative, which would not add any additional runways at LAX. The outboard northern runway would be relocated and the inboard northern runway would be lengthened to accommodate larger aircraft. Taxiways would be added to the two northern and southern airfields to improve safety and operational efficiency. Other features associated with Alternatives A and B, including new west entrance and terminal, people mover, expanded cargo facilities, LAX Expressway, and Green Line extension, would be included in this alternative. Completion of the improvements included in Alternative C would allow LAX to accommodate 89 MAP, 4.2 MAT of cargo and approximately 2,300 daily operations by 2015.

Environmental Impacts

Development of LAX in accordance with Alternative A, B or C will have significant environmental impacts on Southbay and Westside neighborhoods. The No Action/No Project Alternative will also have dramatic effects if the airlines continue to schedule additional flights at LAX until the airfield and adjacent road systems reach complete gridlock. The DEIR identifies many significant and unmitigable environmental impacts associated with the three alternatives in the areas of aircraft noise, construction noise, land use, on- and off-airport surface transportation, social impacts, air quality, cultural resources, and human health and safety. In addition, staff has identified several environmental impacts to the City of Santa Monica that were not addressed in the DEIR, including traffic and circulation impacts, socioeconomic impacts, timing of mitigation measures relative to airport enhancements, and a variety of environmental impacts associated with shifting of air traffic to Santa Monica Airport. Attached is a draft of staff’s technical comments collected from the relevant City departments.

DEVELOPING A FORMAL CITY POSITION

In adopting a formal position on the LAX Master Plan, there are several important elements to consider, including:

· Implementation of Master Plan Alternatives A, B, or C will undoubtedly have significant environmental consequences for Santa Monica and the entire region, including additional traffic pressure on Lincoln Boulevard;

· The No Project / No Action Alternative could have significant environmental impacts on Santa Monica as increasing airline congestion at LAX diverts even more corporate jets to Santa Monica Airport;

· Master Plan improvements at LAX, including infrastructure improvements such as a people-mover and the Green Line transit extension, will enhance air travel convenience and options for Santa Monica’s residents, businesses and visitors;

· Airports play an important economic role in the region. Pursuing development of airports throughout the region allows for all areas to accrue economic benefits while more fairly spreading the associated environmental impacts. However, limiting LAX to its current capacity, even if it is assumed that El Toro Marine Base is developed as a commercial airport, is expected to have some dampening effects on future air travel options in the region, with resultant impacts on future economic growth.

· Several critical traffic-mitigating improvements are programmed for later phases of implementation, while the development of new traffic-generating on-site airport facilities occur in early phases of the Master Plan. As a result, traffic impacts will be exacerbated for many years.

Given the variety of issues associated with LAX, there are variations and permutations of a formal position that the City Council may wish to consider, including:

1. Opposition to all of the LAX Master Plan Alternatives, as currently proposed, due to the significant and unavoidable environmental impacts associated therewith;

2. Opposition unless the DEIR fully analyzes the environmental consequences of the Master Plan and provides acceptable mitigation for impacts on Santa Monica;

3. Opposition unless the Master Plan provides for guaranteed infrastructure, facilities, and airside acreage to fully support transient business aircraft and fixed-base business operations, including a minimum of three fixed-base operations for business jets and an exclusive runway for small to mid-size jets;

4. Opposition unless the Master Plan phasing provides for surface transportation enhancements to coincide with or precede any air transportation enhancements; and

5. Opposition unless the relocation and expansion of the LAX Transit Center is included as a Master Plan commitment at a location that will promote the use of transit.

On June 25, 2001, the City Council of Culver City formally found the DEIR to be inadequate and reiterated their formal opposition to capacity expansion at LAX. In addition, Culver City and West Hollywood have joined Santa Monica in the coalition of cities supporting a regional airport plan. The City of Beverly Hills has not taken a formal position on the Master Plan.

NEXT STEPS

Staff will be submitting technical comments regarding the Master Plan and DEIR prior to the close of the comment period. If the City Council chooses to take a formal position regarding the Master Plan, this position will be conveyed to the City of Los Angeles and the Federal Aviation Administration during the comment period. Since the release of the Master Plan, a new Mayor and several new City Councilmembers have taken office in the City of Los Angeles. Because Mayor Hahn is expected to reconsider the scope and approach of the LAX Master Plan, it is important that Santa Monica provide technical comments and a formal City position to ensure that these comments and positions are considered with respect to any future iterations of the Master Plan.

BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT

Taking a formal position on the LAX Master Plan will have no impact on the budget.

CEQA ANALYSIS

Taking a formal position on the LAX Master Plan does not require independent review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), as the proposed project must be analyzed by the appropriate lead agencies, pursuant to the guidelines of CEQA, prior to taking action on the Master Plan.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the City Council adopt a formal position opposing the Master Plan Alternatives, on the basis that the City of Santa Monica cannot consider support of any Master Plan Alternatives unless the following occur: 1) The DEIR fully analyzes the environmental consequences of the Master Plan and provides acceptable mitigation for impacts on Santa Monica; 2) The Master Plan provides for guaranteed infrastructure, facilities, and airside acreage to fully support transient business aircraft and fixed-base business operations, including a minimum of three fixed-base operations for business jets and an exclusive runway for small to mid-size jets; 3) The Master Plan phasing provides for surface transportation enhancements to coincide with or precede any air transportation enhancements; and 4) The relocation and expansion of the LAX Transit Center is included as a Master Plan commitment at a location that will promote the use of transit.

Prepared by: Suzanne Frick, Director, Planning and Community Development
Andy Agle, Deputy Director, Planning and Community Development
Jeff Mathieu, Director, Resource Management
Bob Trimborn, Airport Manager

 Attachment: Draft staff comments on the LAX Master Plan DEIR/EIS (below)

ATTACHMENT

CITY OF SANTA MONICA

STAFF COMMENTS ON LAX MASTER PLAN DEIR

DRAFT

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION

Environmental Impacts and Analysis

Figure 4.3.2-4 of the DEIR identifies street segments that will experience more airport traffic with implementation of the LAWA staff-recommended Alternative C.

Several street segments in Santa Monica are identified to receive more airport traffic. However, the DEIR fails to analyze any traffic intersections in Santa Monica, in spite of our NOP letter’s identification of 22 intersections in Santa Monica for analysis. The DEIR is clearly flawed in this analysis of the surface transportation impacts of the Master Plan.

The DEIR analysis relies upon several Master Plan transportation improvements, including the LAX Expressway, people mover, and Green Line transit extension, to help mitigate the Master Plan surface transportation impacts. However, the creation of new on-site airport facilities, including new terminal facilities, is proposed to occur during Phase 1 of the Master Plan, while the aforementioned transportation improvements occur after Phase 1. This phasing creates a multi-year period where surface transportation impacts will be severely exacerbated prior to implementation of improvements that help mitigate those impacts.

Appropriate Mitigation Measures

The DEIR must fully evaluate the surface transportation impacts associated with the Master Plan, and provide mitigation measure to minimize those impacts. For any Santa Monica intersections that are negatively impacted, mitigation measures that are acceptable to the City of Santa Monica must be proposed. Any Master Plan improvements that help mitigate the surface transportation impacts of increased passengers and cargo must be implemented prior to development of new terminal facilities.

The DEIR forecasts a 50 percent increase in transit usage as a result of implementation of Phase I, which includes an improved location for the transit center and additional fly-away locations. In order to ensure the maximization of transit possibilities, the siting and development of a new transit center must be identified and approved by bus services providers, including the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus.

GENERAL AVIATION

Environmental Impacts and Analysis

A critical concern for Santa Monica is the impact of any Master Plan changes on the general aviation (GA) facilities and operations at LAX. Reduction of LAX facilities and/or displacement of operations, particularly business jet operations, create a substantial impact on other airports in the basin. This is already a problem because of the congestion and lack of adequate business jet facilities at LAX.

Santa Monica Airport (SMO) has been subjected to increases in transient business jets using our air field due to inadequate air side and landside facilities at LAX. Additionally these aircraft using Santa Monica Airport are also increasingly of a size that appear inappropriate in scale and character for both the airport facility and the surrounding community ----- which is tightly situated in densely populated residential areas. This represents a very substantial concern and problem which requires any developments at LAX to not only stop the displacement of business jet aircraft but must, in fact, return these previously displaced traffic to its proper setting.

As the proposed LAX Master Plan repeatedly states, LAX is the "gateway" facility for the region and the hub of economic activity. The re-positioning of LAX as the center of business jet aircraft activity will allow better integration of connections and coordination of business travel and meeting. LAX is the most appropriate setting for business jet aircraft accessing the Southern California area, particularly the westside of the region.

Business jet aircraft are more appropriately served at LAX as it can provide for a higher margin of safety with longer runway surfaces and safety areas, more high speed turn outs and taxiways, dedicated airspace, continuous tower support and a full complement of emergency facilities and services. The re-focusing of business jet aircraft activity to LAX will provide opportunities for better integration with commercial air operations, rental cars, customs and better maintenance and support services for such aircraft.

The DEIR states that under all the development alternatives, including the LAWA staff-recommended Alternative C, the total acreage committed to GA will be reduced from 14 acres to between 5 and 6 acres. A stunning 62% reduction can only further displace GA operations. Sharing any space with air carrier maintenance activity would likely diminish or overwhelm less financially lucrative GA jet service. The continued displacement of GA operations from LAX has had, and will continue to have, significant environmental consequences for the Santa Monica Airport and the City of Santa Monica. The DEIR must evaluate these environmental impacts, especially in the areas of noise, surface transportation, airspace safety and air quality.

GA has always been a vital part of LAX history and should remain so, particularly the business jet aircraft, which are becoming a significant part of the GA fleet. In all of the alternatives presented in the draft LAX Master Plan, the plan indicates an expansion in GA facilities by increasing total square footage from 144,000 square feet to 244,000 square feet with the addition of a new 100,000 square foot hangar facility at Sepulveda and Century. However this is not analyzed in the DEIR, nor reconciled with the intended reduction of acreage for GA use.

Appropriate Mitigation Measures

The DEIR must fully evaluate the environmental impacts associated with decreased GA facilities, and provide mitigation measure to minimize those impacts. In order to provide adequate opportunities for the basing of business aircraft, as well as to adequately handle transient business, larger areas of unimpaired space are needed for vehicle parking and servicing. We recommend that no reduction in GA-committed space be made. LAWA should provide a covenant or land restriction to the permanence of dedicated acreage, expanded facilities and perpetual operating Fixed Base Operations (FBOs) for business jets. LAX should provide for three FBOs, which would truly allow a full range of services and healthy competition.

The proposed airside improvements with additional taxiways and aircraft movement areas are of significant importance to improving GA-business jet services. An existing and rapidly growing problem at LAX is the airfield congestion and related delays resulting in uncertain scheduling and expensive ground "idling." The proposed extensive aircraft taxiway and other movement area improvements could provide readier access to and from runways for GA-business jet aircraft. The improved separation of runways could increase the number of aircraft that can takeoff and land in tandem, allowing for better interposition of GA business jet aircraft ---- if the additional capacity isn’t consumed by "sharing" facilities with air carrier or cargo uses.

The dedication of one runway exclusively for small to mid-size jets (small to mid-size in terms of LAX but unquestionably large for adjacent GA airports) has great potential to not only stem the rate of displacement of GA jet aircraft, but also to be an affirmative support for the operations of GA jet aircraft and to provide a positive basis for the return of those previously displaced to SMO. In order for the business community to make appropriate decisions and investments, such as basing jet aircraft operations, the plan needs to formally dedicate a runway to use by GA jet aircraft in perpetuity, otherwise air carrier and cargo demand will overwhelm the less financially lucrative business jet users.

The provision of a dedicated runway for business aircraft would also enhance operations and safety in the region surrounding LAX. Instrument departures from Santa Monica must be integrated with LAX departures as their pathways intersect. This requires intense coordination between the two air traffic control towers and the region and often results in aircraft having to sit idling for extended periods of time at Santa Monica waiting clearance at LAX. These aircraft should all be operating under the control and guidance of a single tower, which has the essential benefit of direct visual contact and a single voice. In addition, the establishment of a primary business operations center at LAX will also allow for the development of more efficient air space planning and procedures for both departures and arrivals. A dedicated GA runway must also have full operational support services such as a dedicated instrument landing system, approach lights and air traffic control tower.

Total airside acreage committed to general aviation support facilities must expand beyond the current 14 acres in order to fully support general aviation, including business jet operations, with a full compliment of both based aircraft and transit parking spaces, executive terminal facilities, vehicle parking and pick-up/drop facilities and transport to rental vehicle sites and local hotels.

The Master Plan must provide for, at minimum, three full-service fixed-base operators specifically for general aviation. The Master Plan must include expanded and enhanced general aviation capacity, services, and facilities, particularly for jet aircraft. An increase in facility space to at least 244,000 square feet should be accomplished as soon as possible. Enhanced, fully incorporated and dedicated ground transportation improvements, particularly access roadways and services, to and from general aviation facilities, including general aviation / business user exclusive access roadways and entries, should be incorporated in the Master Plan. Parking improvement plans must include enhanced vehicular parking, as well as dedicated drop off/pick up accommodations at all general aviation facilities.

The development of an operational and business plan is essential for the maintenance and enhancement of general aviation, particularly with regard to GA jet aircraft operations at LAX, including appropriate long-range feasibility and trend studies. A business plan and aggressive marketing program is necessary to attract and recapture general aviation jet aircraft activity at the earliest possible date.

INDUCED SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS

Environmental Impacts and Analysis

The DEIR finds that the Master Plan alternatives will induce between 13,000 and 30,000 new households in the region, including between 2,600 and 4,800 new households in a 10-mile radius. The DEIR concludes that this is a small amount in comparison to expected total growth in the region. However, given the high cost of housing in the region, and particularly in the Westside areas near LAX, providing affordable housing for these new households will be a critical local and regional impact.

Appropriate Mitigation Measures

The DEIR must include measures to mitigate the lack of availability of affordable housing for new household growth that will be induced by the Master Plan.