Rural airport to cost public at least $17 billion

By Christy Scott
The Alpine Sun

     SAN DIEGO — The cost of a new international airport in the Back Country would run a tab of $17 billion, according to a study prepared for the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority and presented to its strategic planning subcommittee on Monday, Jan. 23.
     The cost estimates, created by consultants Ricondo & Associates, represent the best estimate of the total cost of acquiring property, moving earth, building runways and terminals, and passenger transportation to the site. For the Campo/Boulevard site, this totals $16,699,000,000, and for the Imperial County Desert site the cost could be more than $17,408,000,000.
     Despite these astronomical numbers, the estimates provided do not take into account all of the potential costs for the new airport site. They don't include financing and transition costs, or the cost of acquiring off-airport land for transportation build-out or utility connections. Also left out of the equation are the environmental processing and mitigation costs and the overall operations and maintenance of the site itself.
     “This is a range for costs, not specific costs,” said Joe Huy, director of Ricondo & Associates. “We want to lay this out for you so that you will be able to compare one site versus the other using the exact same analysis.”
     Some of the strategic planning board members raised concerns about the high costs and questioned whether either would ultimately be feasible for a new airport.
     “We need to start thinking about financing and where we’re going to get the money to fund our ultimate choice,” said authority board member William Lynch. “Even if we get help from the federal government or the FAA, we will never get more than half of the amount we’re going to need, and this leaves the airlines to ultimately pick up that slack.”
     The largest contributor to the high cost at both sites is the estimate for a magnetic levitation rail line that would whisk travelers from the county centroid, located around Miramar, and out to the new airport. 
     The preferred route for the maglev, according to authority officials and consultants, is one that would meander along Highway 94 for 58 miles to the Boulevard site, and an extension of that along I-8 for 33 miles for the Imperial site.
     For the Boulevard location, the maglev rail line accounts for more than half the overall cost for the site.
     Another big cost for the Boulevard site, and a major concern voiced by residents, is the effect of development in the rural Back Country community.
     Boulevard resident and sponsor group chairwoman Donna Tisdale attended the Monday meeting to bring to light some of the specifics that are not included in the most recent report, including the umbrella effect on local groundwater recharge and the sole-source aquifer in the area.
     Tisdale is concerned that the creation of the airport will ultimately result in the development of the entire area and could destroy the rural appeal of the Back Country, which drew many residents to the area in the first place.
     According to consultants, the costs for land acquisition on the actual airport site equal approximately $50 million for Boulevard and only $5 million for Imperial. This is due largely to the number of affected landowners and relocation of populations at each site.
     In Boulevard, 1,174 acres of residential land, 200 acres of commercial land, and 5,014 acres of agricultural land would need to be acquired by the agency. This would result in the relocation of more than 75 residences and about 225 residents from the area, as well as disturbing a sacred American Indian site.
     The Imperial Desert site would not result in any relocation, as the 10,501 acres of land being discussed is undeveloped.
     “No matter what site we choose, there is going to be these big acquisition impacts and regulatory roadblocks,” said authority chairman Joe Craver. He argued that it could take more than two years for the agency to acquire agricultural land and more than four years for critical environmental land.
     This arose from the discussion of environmental impacts at each site. The earthwork that would be needed at a Boulevard site, including punching out mountainsides, removing plants, and leveling the hilly terrain, could cost nearly $3 billion. In Imperial, the land is mostly undeveloped, relatively flat, and results in a tab of $174 million.
     Development in Boulevard would result in adverse effects to 4,028 acres of chaparral, 124 acres of live oak woodlands, and effects to 11 sensitive plants species. Federal endangered wildlife would also be affected, including the Quino Checkerspot Butterfly and the Peninsular Bighorn Sheep.
     Imperial county development could face problems due to the location of the Flat-Tailed Horned Lizard management area, which is located right under the proposed airport footprint, as well as a 100-year-old flood plain that would need to be relocated, according to consultant Greg Wellman. Imperial County officials contend, however, that this problem could be alleviated if the proposed site was moved slightly to the east and away from land considered environmentally sensitive.
     “Land conversion is not a big deal in Imperial County,” said Imperial County Supervisor Bob Ham at Monday’s meeting. “We’re going through this all the time, right now even. This is not a big deal and won’t be a big financial impact for you.”
     Weather is also a concern for residents in Boulevard, where icy temperatures and strong winds are the norm.
     “Many residents from the Campo area have talked about the very strong winds and even snow at times,” said board member William Lynch. “These statements we have here really aren’t supported by the testimony we’ve received from residents to this board.”
     During the Monday meeting, winds in the eastern mountains and Boulevard were gusting at about 70 miles per hour, resulting in high wind warnings on I-8 and causing the closure of Mountain Empire High School, Tisdale said.
     According to officials, the orientation of the airport and the runways can be tweaked to handle the blustery Santa Ana winds. They argued that weather is not a major concern at either of the sites.
     Besides Boulevard and Imperial County, the agency is analyzing prospects for a joint-use facility at the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton or North Island Naval Air Station. It also is reviewing East Miramar and whether there is land in the North County for a supplemental, single-runway airport.
     According to officials, whatever site is ultimately chosen, the local governing board for that jurisdiction will have to vote to support it. In the Imperial County, that could mean the El Centro council or the Imperial County Board of Supervisors, and for the Boulevard site, the decision would ultimately fall on the shoulders of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, who are charged with governing the unincorporated area.
     The authority board has given itself an April deadline to come up with a choice, which will then be studied further and finalized in time for the November 2006 countywide ballot measure.

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