Letters to the Editor: On the Oceano County Airport

Let us listen to ideas

I live in Oceano, as do my son and grandsons. My son owns a hangar at our small airport so we would not like to see the airport disappear. However, Jeff Edwards has a point about revitalizing our town center (“Los Osos land developer wants airport to be replaced,” Feb. 26).

Let us not refuse to listen to his ideas and let us consider a compromise. There is much undeveloped land in Oceano. I would love to see some improvements and also keep our airport. We can have it all!  

H.D. Burson

Oceano

Leave airport as it is

In response to the news that a developer is interested in causing the closure of the Oceano Airport in favor of real estate development, I want to register my opposition to any such plan (“Los Osos land developer wants airport to be replaced,” Feb. 26).

Many transient aircraft come to Oceano for the beach amenities, the shops and the restaurants. In addition, I believe that the aerial sightseeing business which operates from Oceano is a viable and vital part of the Oceano Dunes and Avila Bay experience.

As a local pilot, I value the airport as a quaint little local getaway place with restaurants within easy walking distance and fuel that is usually much cheaper than that which we have at my home field, Paso Robles.

While the land on which Oceano Airport sits may not be its “highest and best use,” I believe it is well-suited to its current use. New development will bring with it a huge disturbance to the ecology of the area. The county should leave the airport intact as it is with any minor improvements deemed necessary that don’t impact the nearby lands.

G. Pete Johnson

Paso Robles

A valuable asset

San Luis Obispo County has a very valuable asset in the Oceano County Airport. I hope the powers do not fall prey to the same disease that affects our nation’s capital of only looking at the almighty dollar that is flashed in their face.

I have been using this facility since 1966 and now my two sons visit as well. What a great place to visit. Without an airport I would never be back. We have friends who built a very nice, large house within two miles of the airport and the airport was one of the reasons for them to locate there.

As the mess in Haiti has demonstrated, when you have a real earthquake, this may be the only link for the people in the area to get help. The county should think about spending money to improve the airport, not about getting a few cheap dollars to close it down. I hope the county has some backbone to stand up and do what’s right.

Phil Schultz

Lancaster, CA

Don’t sever a vital link

Those communities that are considering closing the potential building blocks for small business and enterprise that airports can bring to small and midsize cities all across California are making a huge mistake.

City leaders would rather opt to spend your hard-earned taxpayer dollars on projects that would benefit the few, for a short period of time during the election period, than plan on spending your tax money wisely for the future. Keeping our airports open and business-friendly should be their priority.

We should be encouraging our elected leaders to keep Oceano Airport open, in order to ensure that the vital link between the tourist and general aviation visitor and our state and county remains strong.

Gary Nemeth

Paso Robles