San Diego Chamber approves commercial airport at Miramar

By Alison St John / Reporter, KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published July 26, 2006 at 9:00 PM PDT

This story was published more than 18 years ago.

The San Diego Chamber of Commerce Board voted today in favor of the Airport Authority's ballot measure, recommending the marine base at Miramar as the best option for a future commercial airport. KPBS

The San Diego Chamber of Commerce Board voted today in favor of the Airport Authority's ballot measure, recommending the marine base at Miramar as the best option for a future commercial airport. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.

Become a KPBS sponsor

Thirty eight members of the Chamber of Commerce board cast a close vote, though chairwoman Nicki Clay wouldn't say how close.

Clay: "It was very close - it was difficult you know it's going to be difficult for the voters. I only hope that the voters go to the polls this fall with as much information these board of directors did in making this decision."

The business leaders who voted went through two months of informational meetings and site visits. Clay said the board members spoke of their support of the military's significant role in San Diego's economy, but still, by a narrow margin, decided to throw their weight behind the ballot measure. They sidestepped the tricky issue of whether joint use of Miramar is feasible, but advocated for negotiations with the marines for space at Miramar sometime in the future.

Alison St John, KPBS news.

Alison St John

twitter

Alison St John currently serves as a general assignment reporter and occasionally co-hosts KPBS Midday Edition. She fell in love with KPBS Radio when she arrived in San Diego in 1985 and first heard NPR. She has been a voice on KPBS Radio since 1989, and has served as a news reporter for radio, TV and the web, as well as anchoring, hosting, producing and editing. Alison has reported on stories about North County and was based in the KPBS' North County Bureau. Alison covered the metro beat during the critical period of the San Diego City pension crisis, and the education beat while Alan Bersin was the controversial Superintendent of San Diego City School District. She covered health when the industry was converting to managed care and told welfare reform stories in the late 1990s when Clinton was “ending welfare as we know it.” She has covered land use issues extensively, looking at the challenges of meeting a growing population while preserving community character, and developing a better transportation system to meet environmental concerns. She has done many stories on the military in San Diego, and the series she edited on the challenges veterans face returning from active duty to civilian life won “Best of Show” from the San Diego Society of Professional Journalists. She occasionally hosts the KPBS Roundtable and KPBS Midday Edition. Alison has won awards from the San Diego Press Club, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Associated Press TV and Radio Association, and the California Golden Mike Awards. Alison was born in Tanzania, brought up in Scotland, and earned her degree in psychology and sociology from Durham University in England. Her postgraduate diploma is in student counseling. She worked in England, Nigeria, Switzerland, Belgium, India, and Japan before moving to the United States in 1981. She now lives in Oceanside and enjoys how her community is growing and changing.