L.A. Approves Airport Master Plan

L.A. Approves Airport Master Plan

The Los Angeles City Council approved the Van Nuys Airport (VNY) Master Plan to serve as the long-term planning document that will guide land use at the 730-acre airport for the next 20 years.

Alternative J, a key element of the Master Plan, dedicates 38.6 acres for propeller aircraft use. "After 13 years of wrangling, Alternative J strikes the best balance between future aviation development and quality of life for local residents," said Councilman Tony Cardenas, whose district includes VNY. "It is a compromise, so not everybody got everything they wanted."

Supported by the VNY Citizens Advisory Council (CAC), Alternative J also identifies runway and aviation areas, as well as airport commercial and light industrial areas. "The City Council's approval of the Master Plan is the culmination of a long community process," said CAC Chair Coby King. "I'm proud of the role that our Council played in bringing people together for a compromise that allows us to move forward on developing the airport while protecting the community from excess airport noise."

In a series of actions, the City Council approved the Master Plan and associated documents, and also instructed the Department of City Planning to amend Alternative J to include study of future airport noise mitigation measures.

The noise measures include a phase-out of Stage 2 aircraft, establishment of a cap on Stage 3 aircraft, establishment of maximum daytime noise levels, implementation of fines for noise policy violations, and implementation of incentives and disincentives in aircraft landing fees. Language to study the economic impacts of airport operations on residential property values was also added.

"The long-awaited approval of Van Nuys Airport's Master Plan is finally at hand," said Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Executive Director Kim Day. "We feel confident the plan will meet the needs of the aviation industry and effectively address the concerns of airport neighbors."

LAWA initiated efforts to prepare a VNY Master Plan in 1992. The Board of Airport Commissioners originally approved a recommended plan in February 2000, but the document was modified to include Alternative J following a series of public meetings and at the direction of the VNY CAC. The Master Plan and associated documents must receive final approval from the Mayor, and airport officials estimate the Plan's review process will be completed by the end of this year.

Ranked as the world's busiest general aviation airport, VNY is one of four airports owned and operated by LAWA, a self-supporting department of the City of Los Angeles.