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Airport customers must include neighborhoods
By Ken Yeager
The Willow Glen and Rose Garden neighborhoods I represent on the San Jose City Council are some of the most impacted by the Norman Mineta San Jose International Airport. That is why one of my top priorities as an incoming council member was to take a leadership role in protecting the curfew and mitigating airport noise and pollution.
When I began my council term a year ago, I wanted to change what I considered to be city policies that encouraged airport expansion at the expense of the neighborhoods. I had come to this conclusion because of my two years of service as chair of the city's Airport Curfew Monitoring Committee, a council-appointed committee that oversees the airport's 11:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. curfew. It seemed every committee idea to strengthen the curfew met with multiple explanations as to why it couldn't be done.
Upon taking office, I had several opportunities to successfully work with other council members to change the city's direction. At a council meeting two months into my term, I opposed the council approving ground leases with airlines that had not signed letters confirming their compliance with the airport curfew. Today, one of the airlines has improved its curfew compliance record, and the other--for a variety of reasons--no longer flies into our airport.
My next opportunity to make a difference came at last June's budget hearings. During discussions about the airport, I proposed creating a new staff position of "ombudsperson" with responsibilities to make the airport a better neighbor.
One significant result of this action was that for the first time the airport began to have the resources to work cooperatively with residents. In addition, the city manager created an airport neighborhood team that includes staff from other departments to work on issues impacting areas around the airport.
Some other duties of the ombudsperson include working with the airlines to change schedules so their departures and arrivals do not occur so close to the curfew. This alone could significantly reduce curfew intrusions. Another responsibility is working with industry representatives and government agencies to support legislation encouraging the adoption of quieter aircraft. If achieved, this would truly result in decreased noise levels.
I knew the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce was pushing for further airport expansion due to business reliance on the airport for commerce. To better understand the Chamber's perspective, I accepted an invitation in October to join a Chamber delegation to San Diego.
One of the sessions included hearing representatives from the San Diego airport discuss issues where the airport and community had successfully worked together, as well as where challenges still remained. It proved to be a productive exchange of ideas and showed that San Jose could learn from the experiences of other airports.
During this time came one of the biggest challenges of my first year in office. Amendments to the airport master plan were to be considered by the city council. Key parts included a centralized terminal, an automated people mover, a new roadway design, and a 14,000-space parking and rental garage.
A neighborhood group called Citizens Against Airport Pollution voiced grave concerns about the master plan amendments, particularly the centralized terminal.
Group members believed the plan did not contain enough safeguards to protect the nearby neighborhoods. As a longtime CAAP member, I supported its goals. I met with CAAP to listen to its issues. At the meeting's conclusion, I committed myself to incorporating its ideas into a final agreement.
In a memo that I wrote and signed along with Mayor Ron Gonzales and Councilmembers Cindy Chavez, Dave Cortese, and Linda LeZotte, a long list of items were included as safeguards for residents. The memo stated that the airport would do the following: devote necessary resources to expeditiously implement the city's acoustical treatment program; direct the city attorney to find ways to impose fines or other penalties on airlines that break the curfew; and report on run-up procedures and noise mitigation commitments.
Also on the list were directives to investigate parking patterns in local neighborhoods, accommodate pedestrian and bicycle access, and require an update to the master plan should an expansion beyond 40 gates be proposed. Because an important matter for the neighborhood was the level of air pollution caused by aircraft, for the first time the airport will investigate installing air quality monitors.
With a draft in hand, I called a meeting with CAAP, airport staff, Chamber CEO Jim Cunneen, and Councilmember Chavez to see if everyone could agree to the final wording. It was the first time all the stakeholders were in the same room. With a few minor changes, all parties accepted the compromise. At the Nov. 13 council meeting, the amendments to the master plan were approved.
All these actions have had the unanimous support of the mayor and city council. They also reveal the emphasis San Jose's new city manager places on neighborhood services. Together, a strong signal is being sent that the city considers nearby residents as airport "customers," not just airline passengers.
San Jose City Councilman Ken Yeager can be contacted by phone at 408.277.5166, or by email at ken.yeager@ci.sj.ca.us.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
