Mulling a Marine-less Miramar

[question everything]

Mulling a Marine-less Miramar

By ROB DAVIS
Voice Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 4, 2006

(snip)

The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority has a self-imposed May deadline to decide on a site for an airport to replace Lindbergh Field. The due date to submit language for the November ballot initiative is Aug. 11.

On Monday, the authority agreed to develop what-if scenarios examining what Marine Corps Air Station Miramar would look like sans Marines. The authority will study how military assets could be shifted around -- from Miramar to other area bases or possibly elsewhere within Miramar's boundaries -- to accommodate a commercial airport.

(snip)

Until now, the authority board has solely considered joint-use, which would have military and civilian aircraft sharing runways and air space. The Pentagon has flatly rejected that idea, and it remains unclear just how the authority would get control of the base. Capt. Mike Allen, chief of staff for Navy Region Southwest, the local Naval command, has repeatedly said the military won't discuss what-if scenarios. The military doesn't have plans to close Miramar, either, saying that recent rounds of base closures only affirmed its importance.

(snip)

Lynch said the authority is "locked in" to the three military sites under evaluation: Miramar, Camp Pendleton and Naval Air Station North Island. Lynch has already questioned whether problems created by wind at North Island would be too problematic. On Monday, he questioned whether Camp Pendleton would be too far away to site an airport. Lynch said options are limited. Unless the authority works something out with the military, "this area is going to suffer greatly economically," he said.

"The truth is sinking in," Lynch said. "We are between a rock and a hard place."


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