Commission hears pitch and cautions on "hangar housing" proposal

The Airport Advisory Commission spent a large portion of its September meeting discussing proposals to add residential-style hangar housing near the airport and whether such projects could help the airport’s finances.

Commissioners and staff said the airport is not currently zoned or laid out for housing. "Residential and housing don't mix in the configuration of the way the airport is today," said Kimberly Horn, an airport staff member, summarizing infrastructure and zoning obstacles. She added that nearby parcels under discussion are outside city limits and similarly not zoned for residential use.

A public commenter argued a private developer could relieve what some community members view as a financial burden. The commenter, speaking during public comment, said the Flannery Group (doing business as California Forever) "have the money" and suggested a land-lease model could generate revenue for the city; the commenter presented estimated lease figures and a loan-payoff timeline as illustrative examples. The commission did not adopt any financial assumptions from that presentation and treated the figures as claimant estimates.

Commissioner John Burke urged caution. "Before we go rushing, we should have a good financial analysis of real figures," he said, recommending a professional, third-party financial evaluation rather than informal projections.

Sue Clark, a resident who addressed the commission, pointed to an FAA process for "surplus property" as a possible route for repurposing some airport land and referenced the example of Contra Costa County (Concord Airport), where officials sought FAA approval to make certain parcels available for nonaviation uses. "The FAA does have a very dedicated section on purchase of surplus property," Clark said, illustrating that federal requirements and approvals would likely be part of any change to airport land use.

Commissioners repeatedly stressed process requirements. The commission said it is open to considering proposals, but that any prospective developer should submit a full development package, including a development agreement, business plan and financial statements comparable to those required of other home builders and developers. If an applicant brings a proposal, the commission said it will review it in public meetings and follow required FAA and municipal land-use steps.

No formal action or vote was taken on a hangar-housing proposal at the meeting. Commissioners asked staff to continue to evaluate constraints and to require any interested party to present a complete proposal for formal consideration.