"The Watsonville Pilots Association, or WPA, filed a lawsuit against the city of Watsonville in 2021 after the city council approved the 21-unit Townhome Project. The WPA's suit hinged on a technicality. The city owns the airport and per the State Aeronautics Act, it's required to adopt land use guidelines for its general plan using a handbook published by Caltrans."
"Judge Timothy Schmal agreed with the WPA in a Feb. 3 ruling, determining that the city violated state aviation safety law by rubber stamping the project using an inadequate general plan. The ruling also said that the city's environmental review relied on a study that insufficiently analyzed noise impacts."
"Orry Korb, one of the WPA's board members, told SFGATE that noise can reduce operations or even close an airport. 'Noise is always an issue,' he said. 'Residential development near airports is a co[ncern].'"
A proposed 21-unit townhome development across from Watsonville Municipal Airport was rejected by the court in February due to noise concerns and regulatory violations. The Watsonville Pilots Association filed suit against the city in 2021, arguing the city violated state aeronautics law by approving the project without proper land use guidelines. The city's general plan had been invalidated in a previous lawsuit two decades earlier, leaving no adequate criteria for airport-adjacent development. Judge Timothy Schmal ruled the city violated state aviation safety law and that the environmental review insufficiently analyzed noise impacts. Airport noise remains an ongoing issue in California, affecting communities near San Francisco International Airport and Monterey Regional Airport.
#airport-noise-regulation #housing-development #aviation-law #land-use-planning #environmental-impact
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