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Environmental

The San Rafael Airport Sports Complex was reviewed extensively by government agencies, aviation agencies and safety experts during an exhaustive 5 year Environmental Review Process. The Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) found no significant or potentially significant environmental impacts by the project after mitigation.  The EIR evaluated the project for environmental impacts in following areas:

  • Land Use and Planning
  • Aesthetics/Visual Impacts
  • Air Quality
  • Biological Resources
  • Cultural Resources
  • Geology and Soils
  • Hazards and Hazardous Materials
  • Hydrology and Water Quality
  • Noise

On Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 7:00 PM, the San Rafael Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to receive comments on the Final Environmental Impact Report. Click here to view the Final EIR.

The following provides more information on several questions asked by project opponents.

Is it safe to build playing fields and a sports building next to an airport runway?  
Yes. Most aircraft accidents around airports occur on the runway or at the end of the runway such as a plane running out of room to land. Because aircraft accidents are rare and rarely occur off the runway, development is allowed by the FAA adjacent to airport runways throughout the United States in big and small airports. Ground fatalities are incredibly rare.

San Rafael Airport is a very safe airport. It has only 10-15 flights per day, and primarily serves small single engine piston aircraft that weigh less than an average SUV. These are highly maneuverable aircraft that can avoid obstacles even while under duress. In October 2011 a pilot lost his engine on take-off and was still able to fly underneath some offsite PG&E power lines and land safely in the marsh about a half-mile from the airport. Aircraft incidents at San Rafael Airport are rare; in most cases the pilot has walked away from the aircraft uninjured. There has never been a fatality. Contrary to erroneous claims by project opponents, no aircraft incident has EVER occurred in the area of the proposed Sports Complex.

Did Airport Safety Experts review the project?
Yes. The CalTrans Department of Aeronautics reviewed the project. They found that the project:

  • Complies with all clear zones and setbacks required for aircraft safety.
  • Recreational Use complies with Airport Land Use Planning Handbook guidelines for land uses within 2 miles of airports.

Are recreational uses built next to other airports?
Yes, recreation is a land use often near airports. Locally, Petaluma Airport has a youth park next to the runway with outdoor soccer and baseball fields. Petaluma’s Airport is much busy with approximately 146 flights per day vs. the 10 – 15 flights a day at San Rafael Airport.

Does this project impact the marsh habitats along Gallinas Creek or the California Clapper Rail’s birds?
No. The EIR looked at al biological issues surrounding the project. The following is from the EIR conclusion on any impacts to the clapper rail (DEIR, page7-40) “ Since the proposed Project will not impact marsh habitats along Gallinas Creek, and the uplands adjacent to this creek will be protected, implementation of the proposed Project is not expected to result in impacts to the California clapper rail… Implementation of prescribed mitigation measures will reduce potential project-related impacts to California clapper rails to a level considered to be less than significant.”