Santa Monica Airport: Valuable Southern California Convenience or Neighborhood Nuisance?
Attractions like the Santa Monica Pier, 3rd Street Promenade, and high-end shopping and dining on Montana Avenue all provide unique destinations in Santa Monica that are different from other Westside neighborhoods. But, the one place that truly sets it apart is that Santa Monica has its own airport – Santa Monica Airport (SMO).
Now, I’m a huge fan of the Santa Monica Airport — whether it’s getting picked up by my father-in-law and flown to San Diego in 25 minutes for a great beach day; or, sitting and watching the airplanes “touch ‘n go” on the runway (some of them are more like crashes ‘n go) on a lazy Saturday. There are also a couple restaurants just off the runway that offer great food and views.
When it comes to my interest in the Santa Monica Airport, I would say that I’m not alone; however, Santa Monica Airport is also embroiled in controversy. Truth be told, there are things to dislike about the airport despite it’s convenience and value. Residents complain that there is too much noise, while others argue about the environmental impact the airport has on neighboring communities. And some just see the airport as a huge waste of prime real estate.
Santa Monica Airport has been in its location for quite some time — since 1924, to be exact — which is much older than many of the homes surrounding it. People moving into this area are well aware of the airport’s existence, and should be fully comfortable with the potential hazards that come with living near a busy airfield. Most of them are comfortable with the situation, evident in their willingness to purchase a home there in the first place; but, two problems have arisen in recent years that have changed the landscape of these neighborhoods.
- The frequency of private jets landing and taking off from Santa Monica Airport has increased dramatically in the last ten years. This subject was touched upon in an article written in September 2009 issue of The Argonaut. What was once an airstrip for small propeller planes and helicopters has now become the airfield of choice for many private jet owners. Estimates show that around 18,000 jets come and go annually. This has to do with the airports proximity to the high-end neighborhoods outside of Santa Monica – Brentwood, Beverly Hills, Malibu, and Bel-Air, as well as the high volume of aircraft at LAX.
- In addition to the increase in private jets, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is now pushing to change the flight-path for departures a little farther north, over Sunset Park and Ocean Park, which has just fueled the fire for residents living in those neighborhoods. Although the change is temporary for the moment, homeowners know that it could be a permanent change in a matter of time. According to an article in the Santa Monica Mirror, one resident logged the amount of planes that took off in a three-hour timespan: 15 planes, including 3 jets.
The proximity of SMO to LAX is the reason for the flight path being changed. The FAA has an ordinance that states that private airfields must be at least 3 miles apart from each other. Santa Monica Airport is only 2.9 miles from LAX, which explains the change. If the flight path becomes permanent this could certainly have an issue on property values in these areas.
Stay tuned — this is something that we’ll be keeping an eye on as things change and new developments come in about Santa Monica Aiport.
In the meantime, if you are a resident of Santa Monica, or a pilot that frequents Santa Monica Airport, please share your opinions below!
Wheeler Coberly is a Realtor and neighborhood expert in Santa Monica.
Follow him on Twitter via @wheelercoberly or feel free to email him
at wheeler.coberly@thepartnerstrust.com
Image courtesy of mcclave’s photostream on Flickr
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Great information Wheeler. I didn’t know there are restaurants overlooking the tarmac. I thought we were limited to the Spitfire Grill. I love watching airplanes and take an occasional moment to fantasize having my own jet. I’m working on making that a reality by the way.
I love watching “The Man” taking off in his G-V and just dreaming about where he is headed… If only I had one and where I would be heading…