On Monday, June 29, three neighborhood associations (California Heights, Country Club Manor and Los Cerritos) jointly sent a letter of our concerns regarding the proposed Federal Inspection Service Facility at the Long Beach Airport to the [Long Beach] mayor, city council members and other city officials.
The concerns we expressed are the same felt by thousands of residents of Long Beach. The California Heights, Country Club Manor and Los Cerritos Associations would like to express our concerns to the readers of the Signal Tribune. Below, we have several of the important points from our letter:
Our airport continues to be both an asset as well as a major concern for all three neighborhoods. For the past 20 years, we have enjoyed the delicate balance between a unique, local/regional-serving airport and the residential neighborhoods that surround it. A key component of this balance includes the noise ordinance so many of us worked hard to put into effect. Since the ordinance was put in place, the stability and protection it provides has been a positive for residents and businesses alike.
Those of us who have lived in our neighborhoods long enough to remember the lawsuits and conflicts surrounding the noise ordinance do not want to risk reliving these battles. We know that everyone on the council and the mayor have pledged to keep the noise ordinance as is, and we appreciate that. Our worry is that everyone on the council and the mayor cannot guarantee the ordinance will not be challenged again. If we have learned anything from our history, it is that eventually the ordinance will be challenged again, and the odds of this happening are greatly increased by the addition of a customs facility at our Airport.”
The risks of “unintended consequences” are too great: lowering property values for thousands of homes, reducing property-tax revenues to the city, additional airport costs not covered by additional revenue. To risk losing tens of millions of dollars for the possible gain of very little makes no sense.
We ask all of your readers to get informed and get involved on this critical issue. The issue is on the agenda for the Long Beach City Council meeting on July 7. Please plan to attend and share your opinions and concerns.
Hugh Little
President
California Heights Neighborhood Association
