An expanded land use study will examine other uses for the county-owned Whiteman Airport in Pacoima should it be shut down, including the possibility of building affordable housing, according to a motion approved Tuesday, Oct. 22 by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
Its action adds $1.3 million for a consulting firm already charged with studying the airport, bringing the study’s cost to $1.9 million to look at economic impacts and alternative uses “for the potential repurposing” of the general aviation airport, according to county documents. The study will also determine the economic benefits of aviation operations.
“Although no final decision has been made to close Whiteman Airport, it is prudent at this time to investigate all potential impacts of airport closure to the Pacoima community and the County,” wrote Kelly LoBianco, director of the county’s Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) in a letter to the board dated Oct. 22.
Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who represents the area, authored a motion in April that asked for the study about operational impacts, as well as shutting it down and using the 184-acre site for other purposes. Tuesday’s action sets that full study in motion.
“An economic study is a critical next step in a process to reimagine the Whiteman Airport site in Pacoima,” said Horvath in a prepared statement. “The results of the fiscal analysis and land use study will inform future actions while we take immediate steps today to protect the health of the residents of the Northeast San Fernando Valley, including the transition to unleaded aviation fuel.”
In early 2022, residents from Pacoima picketed the airport after a plane crash, saying crashes, noise and possible lead exposure from airplane emissions make it unsafe, and a public health hazard, and that it should be closed.
Those supporting its closure include Los Angeles City Councilmember for the 7th District, Monica Rodriguez. The airport is located in the city of…
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