Preserve Camarillo Airport — Oppose Expansion
I support preserving Camarillo Airport as the community asset it is today, but I oppose further expansion that could increase corporate jet activity, noise, pollution, and impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.
Camarillo is at an important decision point. The County is considering development of some of the airport’s limited remaining available land, including proposals that would increase corporate hangar capacity. Airport officials have also discussed projected growth in business and corporate aviation as part of the demand shaping future development.
Once this land is committed and new infrastructure is built, those decisions may be difficult to reverse.
Residents, particularly those in Old Town and neighborhoods surrounding the airport, have raised concerns about noise, air pollution, safety, and increased jet activity. Many residents feel their concerns have not been adequately heard. I believe those concerns deserve serious consideration before additional development occurs—not after.
We should also learn from the experience of communities such as Santa Monica. Residents there spent decades raising concerns about airport noise, pollution, larger aircraft, and impacts on surrounding neighborhoods. Santa Monica Airport is now scheduled to close in 2028. Its closure also raises an important regional question about where future aviation demand will go and whether surrounding airports will face increased pressure for growth.
Camarillo should not wait until increased development and aviation activity are already established before deciding what is too much.
I do not believe every available acre of airport land needs to be developed simply because there is market demand. Before committing our limited remaining airport land, we should ask:
What kind of airport do we want Camarillo to have twenty years from now?
My position is clear: preserve the airport we have rather than build the infrastructure for an airport our community may not want in the future.
As a City Councilmember, I will oppose further airport expansion, advocate for the health, safety, and quality of life of surrounding neighborhoods, demand transparency about long-term growth and cumulative impacts, and ensure Camarillo residents have a strong voice in decisions that will shape our community for generations.