MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL of the City of Hermosa Beach, California, held on Thursday, May 21, 1998, at the hour of 7:10 P.M.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - Jean Lombardo, resident

ROLL CALL:

Present: Bowler, Acting Mayor Reviczky

Absent: Benz, Oakes, Mayor Edgerton (arrived about 7:30 P.M.)

Although there was not a quorum at 7:10 P.M., since this was an information-only meeting, and since Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) representatives had indicated they could stay only until about 9:00 P.M. or so, Acting Mayor Reviczky called the meeting to order to ensure adequate time for the LAX presentation and for public comments and responses.

PRESENTATION ON LAX AIRPORT EXPANSION ISSUE BY LYDIA KENNARD, DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR PLANNING AND ENGINEERING

Acting Mayor Reviczky said LAX representatives were here to discuss the proposed airport expansion. He said the City had originally anticipated the FAA's presence this evening as well to discuss noise complaints, but that the FAA would come to a future meeting, probably in June. He encouraged members of the public to come forward after the presentation with comments or questions pertaining to the LAX expansion, but suggested that noise questions be held until the meeting with the FAA.

Lydia Kennard, Deputy Executive Director, Los Angeles World Airports, made her presentation with the aid of a slide show illustrating the proposed airport expansion alternatives, which included reconfiguration of LAX's four existing runways and the addition of one or more new runways, new western terminal facilities, additional airport entrances and a ring road around the airport, the installation of an automated people mover system to move people from the existing central terminal to the new western terminal and back, and increased cargo facilities. She said enlarging the airport facilities was needed to accommodate the projected annual increase in passengers from 60 million to 98 million and the near doubling of cargo expected to occur by the year 2015. She said they could not prevent growth from occurring but, by developing a master plan, LAX could expand to meet that growth and at the same time reduce impacts such as traffic congestion, improving current conditions. She said connecting passengers, although they are counted in terms of traffic, do not impact the local community because they do not leave the airport, unlike origin and destination passengers. She stressed the importance of airports being accessible to where people live and work, said a large number of jobs in the area currently are dependent directly or indirectly on LAX, and that the expansion would bring in more jobs. She said the expansion at LAX would enhance its role as an international gateway in the future, noting that LAX is the only international venue in the region, and that they will be depending on all other regional airports to expand, including Ontario Airport and Palmdale Regional Airport, which they also own and operate. She said the project would cost $8 billion to $12 billion, that it included beautification of the areas adjacent to the airport, and that funding would come from existing sources such as airport concession sales and airplane ticket taxes. She discussed LAX's noise mitigation program and the soundproofing they are performing on Los Angeles homes, noting that they also fund soundproofing in neighboring jurisdictions. Re air quality, she said new aircraft would be quieter and cleaner and that by federal law, the noisy aircraft would be phased out by the end of the year 2000. She said the issue of fly-overs was being addressed by an FAA task force.

Keith B. Wilschetz, Transportation Planning Director, Landrum & Brown, discussed the airport traffic studies conducted by his firm. He said LAX did not generate as much traffic as people think, generally less than 10 percent, and he referred to a color-coded slide showing the percentages of airport-related traffic on local streets and freeways. He said also that LAX traffic peaked on Sundays and during the noon hour on weekdays rather than during the morning and evening commuter rush hours. He said the master plan included congestion relief elements, including the proposed ring road, noting its intent was to attract traffic away from the local street system and keep it on the regional system. He said the ring road would connect to the 405 freeway and would use the Westchester Parkway corridor on the north side, Pershing on the west and Imperial Highway on the south so that people would not have to access the local streets. He said the proposal included some high-occupancy vehicle connections, noting one of the most important was at the 105 and 405 freeway interchange; an extension of the Green Line directly into the airport; and the LAX Expressway--a high-speed, four-lane expressway that would parallel the 405 freeway, interchanging north of the airport near the 90 freeway, and directly connect to the ring road.

(Mayor Edgerton arrived at approximately 7:30 P.M., during the LAX presentation.)

At the end of the slide show presentation, the Council returned to the dais. Mayor Edgerton announced that there would be a meeting at a later date with the FAA regarding fly-overs. At 7:45 P.M., he opened the meeting up to public comments concerning the proposed airport expansion.

Coming forward to comment on the airport expansion was:

Brent Feldman - 1052 - 10th Street, expressed concern about noise pollution; said home insulation as a means of noise mitigation was unacceptable since beach residents keep their windows open.

Phil Depoian, Deputy Executive Director of Los Angeles World Airports, agreed that there are corrections that needed to be made, that flights were going too far south to make their turns, but said those were corrections that could be made and that the FAA was working on that.

Continuing to come forward to comment on the LAX expansion were:

Carole Shakely Parkman - 657 Porter Lane, questioned whether the residents really had a say in the proposed expansion or if it was a done deal (Ms. Kennard said it was not a done deal);

Lynn Schubert - 553 - 21st Street, said the expansion would significantly diminish quality of life for residents; said the airport was maxed out and that other airports should be opened or expanded;

Anne Sullivan - 60 - 18th Street, said quality of life has declined over the past year because of more airplanes flying over due to an apparent change in the flight plan at LAX, plus an increase in small commuter planes; said black soot comes in through the windows and is everywhere; said the expansion would provide money to the City of Los Angeles but would ruin the lives and property values of South Bay beach residents; and

Henrietta Mosley - 436 First Street, Manhattan Beach, asked why they could not expand other airports instead, such as Ontario, since so much growth has taken place inland.

Mr. Depoian said the airport traffic will increase at LAX and that they are obligated by federal law to accommodate all passengers. He said they were looking at the growth on a regional basis, but noted they have no control over airports they do not own such as Burbank, John Wayne or Long Beach. He said they are doing a special study now to determine how to make Palmdale more accessible. He noted that this is the only country in the world where the national government does not control its airports.

Continuing to come forward on this issue were:

Jim Parkman - 657 Porter Lane, said he had no problems flying into the airports serving London or New York; expressed concern that LAX was answerable only to the City of Los Angeles, not South Bay residents; said the expansion would be L.A.'s benefit and South Bay's problem;

Maria Orich - Manhattan Beach, expressed concern about lead poisoning from the planes; said noise reduction was needed since she sleeps with her window open; said no where else in the world is an airport located in the center of a city, and;

Jim Arletti - Mar Vista, spoke in support of the LAX expansion; said the airport needed to be made more accessible; noted that initially there were four alternatives (Ms. Kennard said two of the alternatives had been dropped);

Charlie Doherty - 446 - 30th Street, thought some airlines were taking advantage of the airport; suggested that many passengers landed simply to make connecting flights to other destinations, noting that LAX is a hub for United and possibly other airlines; said although those passengers do not impact local streets, they do impact the area because of more air traffic; said airlines could by-pass LAX for connecting flights and suggested an economic penalty to those airlines using LAX as a hub; said an objective should be to cap the air traffic at LAX;

Mike Currows - Huntington Beach as of three months ago, said he had been a South Bay resident for 35 years; said he understood the residents' concerns but supported the expansion as it would benefit his children and grandchildren who still live in the area; thought most of the flights going over the city were from the Torrance airport;

Yurich Orich - Manhattan Beach, said it had always been his dream to live in the South Bay and ride his bike and that the expansion would ruin that; thought South Bay residents should be allowed to vote on the issue (Mr. Depoian said the process involved an environmental impact report and public meetings);

Peter Businos - Second Street, said a friend of his from Dana Point who was heavily involved opposing the El Toro airport proposal said he was pushing for the LAX expansion to keep the impact away from Dana Point; advised interested residents to get involved in opposing the LAX expansion;

John Hales - 624 Eighth Place, said he had followed the airport's progress for many years; said airport officials had previously considered a satellite loading area for passengers and baggage from off-site areas, where people would be bussed in and placed directly into planes to lessen the impact (Mr. Depoian said they would try to discourage cars as much as possible);

Vickie Hanson - 1265 Bonnie Brae, asked why LAX must accept all flights that want to land there and why air traffic at LAX could not be capped; expressed concern about air pollutants and airplanes crashing into communities; noted South Bay residents do not vote for the Los Angeles Mayor; said town meetings do serve a purpose and hoped all proposals would be taken off the board; said she had seen projects take place regardless of the findings of an EIR;

Eric Lawrence - 230 Longfellow, asked what was being done to help local residents now and wondered if the area had grown because of the airport; said studies should be published (Mr. Depoian said the law precluded them from improving conditions unless they are mitigating environmental impacts created because of the master plan);

Henrietta Mosley - Manhattan Beach, questioned the mitigation of impacts that are cited in an EIR, noting that years ago Playa del Rey residents and homes disappeared;

Pete Tucker - 235 - 34th Street, suggested diverting to other airports flights that now just stop at LAX to re-fuel; said the Palmdale airport could be made more attractive with low or no landing fees, etc.; thought all cargo should land at Palmdale and come this way by train (Mr. Depoian said the Palmdale facility is already free);

Lynn Schubert - Hermosa Beach, said a friend of hers who lives in Playa del Rey said she was told the airport would soundproof her home, but pursuant to current law, if she wanted to sell her home she must disclose the proposed LAX expansion; and

Anne Sullivan - Hermosa Beach, had safety concerns and related an experience she had where a plane flew over the beach at a very low altitude; said she called the airport and was told that it never should have happened and that the pilot, who had to abort the flight, had to turn there due to lack of air space;

Jeff Thomas, president of Landrum & Brown, answered questions on air safety; said incidents like that do occur but that there are strict rules; said there no doubt were procedural issues with over-flights; said the technology was there to separate the planes in air space; referred to work being done with the FAA;

Continuing to come forward on this issue was:

Charles Fogg - Hermosa Beach, said he was a flight instructor and commercial pilot out of Torrance airport; said he was concerned about private rather than commercial planes; noted a recent change concerning class B air space which he believed to be hazardous; expressed concern about the potential for a mid-air collision such as what happened over Cerritos.

CITIZEN COMMENTS - None

ADJOURNMENT - The Special Meeting of the City Council of the City of Hermosa Beach, California, adjourned on Thursday, May 21, 1998, at the hour of 9:30 P.M., to the Regular Meeting of Tuesday, May 26, 1998 at the hour of 7:10 P.M. (Pursuant to Council policy, because the preceding Monday [May 25] is a holiday, said Regular Meeting will adjourn to an Adjourned Regular Meeting to be held on Thursday, May 28, 1998, at the hour of 7:10 P.M.)

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