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Item 20A - Proposed Realignment of Miramar Air Station ..-. '""' MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council FROM: Betty Rexford, Councilmember1;?q... I DATE: December 12, 1995 SUBJECT: Proposed Realignment of Miramar Air Station On October 31, 1995, poway City Council adopted a resolution expressing opposition to the proposed realignment of Miramar Air Station. Subsequently, this position was communicated to appropriate Federal, State, and local elected officials. By means of a resolution adopted November 7, 1995, the City Council reaffirmed its strong support for continued military presence in the region. I have been the Council's representative at public hearings and meetings of community leaders concerned with the proposed realignment of Miramar from a Naval Air Station to a Marine Corps Air Station. Recently, an ad hoc committee was formed comprised of persons opposed to the move of helicopters to Miramar and who serve as representatives from the communities of Rancho Bernardo, Mira Mesa, Tierrasanta, and La Jolla. The objective of the Committee is to consolidate and publicize the extent of community opposition to the transfer of Marine helicopter operations from Orange County. A member of the Committee (who is a consultant and lobbyist) met recently with high-level Marine Corps officials in Washington, D. C. and learned that serious safety concerns exist regarding the combination of fixed-wing and rotary-wing operations at Miramar. The original recommendation of the Corps was for the relocation of Tustin operations to March AFB. He was told that local congressmen intervened and caused the change to Miramar. The Congressional delegation from Riverside County is aggressively promoting a reversal of that decision in favor of moving the helicopters to March AFB. They have authorized a study, currently underway, to evaluate the economics of a switch of the helicopters from Miramar to March AFB, employing the foremost military consulting organization in Washington. - 1 of 4 DEe 1 2 1995 ITEM 20A Proposed Realignmer' 1f Miramar Air Station December 12, 1995 Page 2 The Committee has adopted the name MARCH (Move Against Relocating Choppers Here) to identify a coalition of cities and community organizations seeking to move the helicopters to March AFB instead of Miramar. As the first step toward achieving its objective, the MARCH committee is soliciting support of the attached resolution by cities and community organizations throughout the affected region. After obtaining authorized support of the resolution from an initial group of cities and community organizations, the Committee will publicly announce the formation of the MARCH coalition and the names and populations of those community organizations which have signed the resolution. The Committee will transmit this information to influential elected representatives at various levels of government. The Poway City Council has already approved a resolution opposing the proposed realignment of Tustin and EI Toro Marine Corps operations (fixed- wing and helicopter aircraft) to Miramar. Although the MARCH resolution opposes only the move of the helicopters and supports the transfer of the Marine Corps fixed-wing jets to Miramar, information I have obtained recently leads me to conclude that there is little hope of stopping the transfer of the flxed.wlng aircraft to Miramar. However, the principal source of noise problems will be the helicopters. These factors, coupled with my belief that the only hope for stopping the helicopters is to demonstrate to our elected representatives that large numbers of their constituents in the region are strongly opposed, lead me to conclude that the City of poway should Join with the other communities in signing on to the MARCH resolution. Accordingly, I am herewith requesting that the Council authorize me to sign the attached resolution on behalf of the City of Poway. Attachment cc: Stephen M. Eckis miramar .doe 2 of 4 DEe 1 2 1995 ITEM 20A - - - RESOLUTION NO. 95. A RESOLUTION OF THE MARCH COALITION (Move Against Relocating Choppers Here) SUPPORTING RELOCATION OF HELICOPTERS FROM MARINE CORPS AIR STATION TUSTIN TO MARCH AIR FORCE BASE, RIVERSIDE WHEREAS, the MARCH Coalition is comprised of the following cities and community organizations (List subject to change depending upon signatories in hand at time of public release.), and 1) City of Del Mar 2) Del Mar Heights 3) City of Escondido 4) La Jolla 5) Mira Mesa 6) City of Poway 7) Rancho Bernardo 8) Rancho Peiiasquitos 9) Scripps Ranch 10) Tierrasanta 11) University City WHEREAS, the above-named cities and conununity organizations believe their citizenry will be adversely impacted by reduced real estate valucs, due to noise generated by the proposed helicopter operations transferred from MCAS Tustin to NAS Miramar as set forth in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), and WHEREAS, the populace in the above.named communities, estimated at .470,000, will further suffer a reduction in quality of life due to noise generated by the proposed helicopter operations at Miramar MCAS, and WHEREAS, active-duty fixed-wing and rotary-wing pilots have expressed the opinion that simultaneous operation of hoth types of aircraft from the same base, is inefficient and relatively unsafe, and WHEREAS. the purchasers of homes and businesses in the adversely influenced areas did not anticipate the change in Miramar land use which will occur with helicopter air operations, at the tinle of their respective purchases, and WHEREAS, the above-named communities continue to be supportive of USMC fixed- - wing operations being relocated to NAS Miramar, and 3 of 4 DEe 1 2 1995 ITEM 201\ ---- ----- --~_._---_._-_.._-_._--- ----- ----- MARCH Coalition Resolution Page 2 WHEREAS, the above-named communities are totally supportive of the U.S. Marine Corps mission; however, not at the expense of their quality of life and property values when viable alternatives BIe available which are operationally superior and less dangerous to military and civilian personnel, and WHEREAS, there exists evidence that March AFB is a viable and desirable alternative to Miramar for USMC hclicoptcr opcratiol!~ from the standpoint of mission, safety, and community impacts, and NOW THEREFORE. BE IT RESOLVED. that the MARCH Coalition, representing the citizenry of cities and communities affected by MiramBI flight operations and listed above, is opposed to USMC helicopter flight operations in and proximate to MiramBI Air Station and respectfully requests that the Navy Department initiate serious study and planning for the relocation of the Tustin helicopters to MBIch AFB. APPROVED BY: FOR: DATE: ATTESTED TO on this Day of ,199_ by: - John W. Karcher Coalition Chaimlan WITNESSED BY: Jeff Frederick Vice Chairman 4 of 4 DEe 1 2 1995 ITEM 201\ , . /'" . .."- 14150 Arbolitos Drive Poway, CA 92064 December 11, 1995 Timarie Seneca, Code 03A Southwest Division Naval Facilities Engineering Command 1220 Pacific Highway San Diego, CA 92132-5190 Dear Sir: This letter is to protest the relocation of the Marine Helicopters to Miramar Airbase from the Tustin Airbase. In addition, the flight pattern for the Instrument Approach, which flies directly over Poway and my home, is unacceptable due to the noise as demonstrated by the trial "f1yovers" on December 7th and 8th, My reasons for this complaint are as follows: 1. I previously lived in EI Toro, CA and had witnessed first hand the jet noise from that airbase. In addition, I witnessed the helicopter noise from the Tustin base and this is one reason I moved from that area. When I moved to Poway, CA 8 years ago, I fully understood that I might be subject to the Miramar jet noise, I specifically listened to the jet noise prior to purchasing my home in poway and determined that it would not be a major problem, although I am continually annoyed by the jets using their afterburners on the Miramar Airbase late in the evenings. I find it unacceptable that Miramar would now accept helicopters to their airbase and that my home is in a direct Instrument Approach pattern for the helicopters. 2. On December 7th and 8th, I observed the test flights from 3-5PM and from 7- 10PM. The flights came directly over my home in Poway at 5 to 10 minute intervals and at different heights. I first observed that the flights appeared to not be over poway Road as shown in a map in the San Diego Union-Tribune on December 6th, but were further North over Ted Williams Parkway and Camino Del Norte(Twin Peaks) roads. These flights seemed in violation of the proposed Poway Road f1yover. In either case, the noise was unacceptable at both the lower levels of flight and the higher levels. When I stood in my back yard and tried to have a discussion with someone standing only a few feet away, I could not converse without shouting. My two cats were annoyed and ran for the inside of the house and the birds in the trees on our property scattered quickly. In addition, I went inside to hear the noise levels and they were also unacceptable, even with double pane insulated windows and all doors and windows closed. I find that this noise level is an invasion of peace and quiet in our Poway neighborhood and should not be tolerated. \~-1.;l.4S "*::J-vA -, --~ / . ._- ~ 3. I believe that the addition of the helicopter noise would depreciate my property values as I would now have to disclose, on a Real Estate sales agreement, that I live in a helicopter flight pattem. From my previous living experience in the EI Toro area and being a Real Estate Agent in the area, I personally know that property values are depreciated and potential purchasing clients are reduced, as well as reluctant to purchase a property due to airplane noise. I do not believe I should be subject to an economic loss on my property due to a condition that was not present when I purchased my property 8 years ago. 4. I also observed some of the flights which flew over the 1-15 corridor, The noise from these flights was not as prominent but still disturbing. Since my home is on a ridge in Poway, and is approximately 300-400 feet above the general ground level in Poway, the noise level is more pronounced. I believe any helicopter flights in the Poway/North County area will cause serious noise and health related problems for the residents and should not be allowed. In conclusion, I support the military presence in Miramar of the present jet training facility. I can not support the helicopter additions to Miramar due to the demonstrated noise and health related issues, the fact that the noise will depreciate my property value and the fact that helicopter flights over my home were not known when I purchased my property. Therefore, I recommend that the helicopters not be moved to the Miramar Airbase, ~ y 4~ ' .--' Lawre~ W. Leyking / ~ (,;rr-7<flb cc: Poway Councilwoman: Betty Rexford California Assemblyman: Jan Goldsmith -------