UPDATE - PROPOSED CLASS C AIRSPACE DESIGNATION
SURROUNDING LONG BEACH AIRPORT
POTENTIAL IMPACT ON RANCHO PALOS VERDES

Posted April 26, 2012

Status Update: 2011 (Revised) Proposal For Class C Airspace Designation Surrounding Long Beach Airport

Overview

In 2010, the FAA proposed a revision to LGB airspace (the "2010 LGB Proposal"). The City hired Williams Aviation Consultants (WAC) to study the issue. WAC concluded that the 2010 LGB Proposal, if passed, would have had serious unintended noise and safety concerns for Rancho Palos Verdes and South Bay residents. The City submitted a Technical Comments letters to the FAA on September 30, 2010 outlining the City's objections and concerns. Other cities and members of the community also provided comment letters as well.

In 2011 staff became aware of a revised 2011 LGB airspace proposal (the "2011 LGB Proposal"). WAC analyzed the new proposal and concluded that there were significant improvements and modifications to the "2010 LGB Proposal" that addressed the City's concerns and Technical Comments expressed in 2010. WAC opined that the City's pro-active effort in 2010 as well as the unified comments provided by a number of South Bay cities, concerned residents and businesses led to the FAA's decision to significantly modify the "2010 LGB Proposal". The City Council authorized staff to sent a comment letter and WAC's Technical Analysis of the "2011 LGB Proposal" to the FAA on October 4, 2011.

Update, April 25, 2012

Staff attended two FAA public meetings on the "2011 LGB Proposal" on October 25 and 26, 2011. The majority of speakers at the meetings were Long Beach residents and general aviation pilots who were opposed to any change of LGB's airspace. FAA representatives recently informed staff that the FAA would do an internal analysis of the "2011 LGB Proposal", taking into account all public comments. At the end of that analysis, the FAA would then proceed with one of three options: 1) move forward with a notice of public rule making (NPRM); 2) withdraw the proposal; or 3) perform more analysis and seek out additional public input. WAC's studied opinion is that the "2011 LGB Proposal" will move forward with only minor revisions. Staff presented an update to City Council on December 20, 2011click here for staff report. There is no further action at this time. The FAA's analysis is expected to last a minimum of six months. Staff will continue to monitor this issue closely and will update the Council and the City's residents on any significant developments.

Posted September 30, 2011

UPDATE - 2011 (REVISED) PROPOSAL FOR CLASS C AIRSPACE DESIGNATION SURROUNDING LONG BEACH AIRPORT

Staff recently received word of upcoming FAA public meetings in October regarding the revised proposal to create a Class C airspace surrounding LGB (the "2011 LGB Class C Proposal"). WAC reviewed the 2011 LGB Class C Proposal and advised Staff that they believe that the City's pro-active effort in 2010, including the submission of the City's Technical Comments letter, as well as the unified comments provided by a number of South Bay cities, concerned residents and businesses led to the FAA's decision to significantly modify the 2010 proposal. Staff and WAC reviewed the 2011 LGB Class C Proposal shown below in Figure 3.

WAC performed a Technical Analysis (Click here to view the entire report) that summarized its findings as follows:

"The 2011 LGB Class C proposal appears to make numerous changes in response to the public comments received on the 2010 proposal. Many of the impact issues identified by WAC in the analysis of the 2010 proposal are resolved or significantly reduced by the 2011 design."

WAC's Technical Analysis of the 2011 LGB Class C proposal concludes: "The 2011 revised proposal has incorporated changes which mitigate virtually all of the concerns identified by the City, as well as other South Bay cities.

• No potential safety or noise issues were identified that would impact South Bay cities [including the City]. The FAA has made changes in the 2011 proposal which address, to a significant degree, each of the technical issues identified [in the Technical Comment letter sent to the FAA by the City] during the 2010 comment process.
• The FAA should, however, identify and thoroughly analyze any potential impact issues identified during the upcoming public comment period."

Staff will present a staff report to the City Council on October 4, 2011 (Click here to view the staff report) that will be accompanied with the Technical Analysis prepared by Williams Aviation Consultants (Click here to view the entire report), as well as a draft comment letter to the FAA. Comments made be sent directly to the FAA as on or before December 12, 2011 as follows:

John Warner, Operations Support Group, AJV-W2
Western Service Area, Air Traffic Organization
Federal Aviation Administration
1601 Lind Avenue, SW
Renton, WA 98057
Subject: Proposed Long Beach Airport (LGB) Class C Airspace FR Doc 2011-21424 Filed 8-22-11; 8:45am

Or you may submit your comments to airspace@rpv.com. and the City will timely forward them on to the FAA. City of Rancho Palos Verdes Staff expects to provide additional information about this important issue using its Aircraft Noise listserver group (http://www.rpvalert.com) and its website: (http://www.palosverdes.com/rpv) as more information becomes available.

Posted August 8, 2011

UPDATE - PROPOSED CLASS C AIRSPACE DESIGNATION SURROUNDING LONG BEACH AIRPORT POTENTIAL IMPACT ON RANCHO PALOS VERDES

Background:

In 2010 the City of Rancho Palos Verdes became aware that the FAA was considering establishing a significantly more restrictive airspace surrounding Long Beach Airport ("LGB") based upon reported concerns about safety. The FAA's proposed LGB Class C airspace would be about 3 times larger than the existing Class D airspace.

While passenger safety is of the upmost importance, the City Council, Staff, and the City's aviation consultants are extremely concerned about the "unintended consequences" that could be experienced by the City and neighboring South Bay coastal communities, including:

1. Increased safety risks resulting from a greater number of general aviation ("GA") aircraft flights compressed in flight areas;
2. Environmental impacts, especially increased aircraft noise and air pollution from piston-powered and turboprop aircraft;
3. Increase of GA aircraft flights across the entire PV Peninsula, as well as neighborhoods in Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Torrance and San Pedro; and
4. Increased workload of FAA traffic controllers, possibly impairing passenger flight safety.

The Rancho Palos Verdes City Attorney submitted a technical comments letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) addressing the FAA's proposal to change the airspace around Long Beach Airport (LGB) on September 30, 2010. The letter requested that the FAA conduct a complete analysis of the potential impacts of the proposal before any change is made to the airspace designation around LGB.

Citing the limited information currently available, concerns regarding the potential unintended consequences regarding air safety, and the FAA's failure to undertake the necessary environmental review process, the City requested that the FAA complete the following in its letter:

• Withdraw or suspend the current technically flawed proposal to change the LGB airspace from Class D to Class C;
• Undertake the necessary study and analysis of the safety and environmental ramifications of any airspace change and provide opportunities for meaningful public input on the results of such studies and analysis before any further consideration of an airspace change at LGB;
• In the event that the FAA opts to proceed with the current proposal, comply with the requirements of FAA Order 7400.2G, the National Environmental Protection Act, and disclose all relevant information to allow for meaningful public input before any change is made; and
• Provide specific notice to the City, in addition to any other required noticing, for any further actions related to this or future proposals to change airspace designations at LGB.

In addition to the Technical Comments Letter, the City also submitted a letter from the Mayor on behalf of the City Council expressing concerns about safety and adverse environmental impacts should the proposal be implemented and all of the public comments received from officials, business leaders and residents of Rancho Palos Verdes and other South Bay cities. Comment letters were submitted by 6 other South Bay cities to the FAA expressing concern. These cities were Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Palos Verdes Estates, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach and Torrance.

Update:

The City's aviation consultant, Tom Kamman of Williams Aviation Consulting, advised the City to continue monitoring the FAA's actions regarding the proposed airspace change, but refrain from engaging in a dialogue at this time. Mr. Kamman believes that the substantial opposition expressed by the seven South bay cities, especially RPV, may have caused the FAA to decide not to move forward at this time.

The FAA is reportedly beginning to launch a project to redesign the entire airspace in Southern California. Conceptually, the redesign of Sothern California airspace is long overdue. However, it may cause unfavorable noise impacts through-out the entire region, including the City. Several recent personnel changes within the FAA, as well as the reduction of the FAA talent pool in Southern California, should cause the City to carefully watch the FAA's next steps.

Staff has heard some chatter from sources in the aviation community in recent months about the possibility that the proposed designation change may be gathering momentum. Nothing has been confirmed at this time. Staff, with the assistance of its aviation consultant, will continue to monitor this situation closely.

More Information

City of Rancho Palos Verdes Staff expects to provide additional information about this important issue using its Aircraft Noise listserver group (http://www.rpvalert.com) and its website (http://www.palosverdes.com/rpv) as more information becomes available. The public is encouraged to join the listserver group or check the City's website for the most current information regarding this issue. The public is encouraged to let the City know their thoughts and concerns regarding this and other Peninsula airspace issues at airspace@rpv.com.
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Long Beach Airport Noise Complaints:

• Click here to access Long Beach Airport Webtrak or call the Long Beach noise complaint hotline at 562-570-2665.

Contacting Rancho Palos Verdes Staff

While the City of Rancho Palos Verdes has no direct authority over airspace, City staff takes airspace safety and noise impacts on our residents very seriously.

The public is encouraged to let the City know their thoughts and concerns regarding Peninsula airspace issues. Email staff at airspace@rpv.com or contact Rancho Palos Verdes Senior Administrative Analyst Matt Waters at 310-544-5218.

Click here to go the City's List Serve to sign up to receive updates on aircraft noise abatement and other airspace issues affecting the City of Rancho Palos Verdes.

Click here to return to Overview of Airspace Issues

Posted October 4, 2010

On Thursday, September 30, 2010, the Rancho Palos Verdes City Attorney submitted a technical comments letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) addressing the FAA's current proposal to change the airspace around Long Beach Airport (LGB). Drawing mainly from the Technical Analysis Report completed by Williams Aviation Consultants (WAC), the letter requested that the FAA conduct a complete analysis of the potential impacts of the proposal before any change is made to the airspace designation around LGB.

Citing the limited information currently available, concerns regarding the potential unintended consequences regarding air safety, and the FAA's failure to undertake the necessary environmental review process, the City requested that the FAA complete the following in its letter:

• Withdraw or suspend the current technically flawed proposal to change the LGB airspace from Class D to Class C;

• Undertake the necessary study and analysis of the safety and environmental ramifications of any change airspace change and provide opportunities for meaningful public input on the results of such studies and analysis before any further consideration of an airspace change at LGB;
• In the event that the FAA opts to proceed with the current proposal, comply with the requirements of FAA Order 7400.2G, the National Environmental Protection Act, and disclose all relevant information to allow for meaningful public input before any change is made; and

• Provide specific notice to the City, in addition to any other required noticing, for any further actions related to this or future proposals to change airspace designations at LGB.

In addition to the Technical Comments Letter, the City also submitted the following to the FAA last week:

• A letter from the Mayor on behalf of the City Council expressing concerns about safety and adverse environmental impacts should the proposal be implemented; and,
• All public comments received from officials, business leaders and residents of Rancho Palos Verdes and other South Bay cities.

Comment letters were submitted by 6 other South Bay cities to the FAA expressing concern. These cities were Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Palos Verdes Estates, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach and Torrance.

To view the City's Technical Comments Letter and WAC's Technical Analysis Report, please click the appropriate links at the top of this page.

Posted September 3, 2010

City Staff is working with its aviation consultant and the community to collect additional technical information to be timely presented to the FAA.  At its meeting on August 17, 2010, the City Council unanimously approved a budget adjustment to pay for the cost of services rendered by the City's consultant.  The appropriation of additional funds further demonstrates the City's commitment to providing timely comments to the FAA with the goal of developing a solution that will be in the best interest of the City's residents, including the tourism community.

In its September 7th staff report entitled "Potential Impact Resulting from Proposed Class C Airspace Designation Surrounding the Long Beach Airport" (click here), City Staff provides an overview of the potential impact of the proposed change on Rancho Palos Verdes and its neighboring South Bay cities. This staff report includes a summary of information reported by the City's consultant, Williams Aviation Consultants, in the Potential Impact Statement (click here) it published on September 2, 2010.

City Staff has also developed a "Questions and Answers" document to help the public better understand the impact of this proposed change (click here). Furthermore, Staff has developed a template public comment letter for individuals to use if they are interested in expressing their concern about the change to the FAA (click here for the template letter). Staff strongly encourages users of this template to personalize their letter to the FAA.