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Palomar Airport Master Plan Seeks Clearance From Community

Aerial view of Palomar Airport and surrounding property in Carlsbad is shown in this undated photo.
San Diego County
Aerial view of Palomar Airport and surrounding property in Carlsbad is shown in this undated photo.

San Diego County is soliciting public comment on a 20-year master plan to improve Palomar Airport in Carlsbad. The draft environmental impact report is now available.

The first of three public comment meetings is slated for Tuesday evening.

The airport is owned by San Diego County. The runway is less than 5,000 feet long, and though large corporate jets already land at Palomar, commercial service for the public is limited to connections to Las Vegas.

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Environmental Planner Leann Carmichael said the master plan includes options to lengthen the runway, either 200 feet or an extra 600 feet. The longer extension would be costly since it would require piers to be built over an existing capped landfill.

“We are not looking at a runway extension to bring in bigger planes than are flying in and out today,“ Carmichael said. “The runway extension is actually being asked for by the users of the airport today, so that they can fly in and out with a little bit bigger fuel load and go further.”

Nearby residents worry about increasing noise. Supporters of the master plan say the airport is an economic boon to North County.

Tuesday's meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Carlsbad. It's the first of three public meetings on options. The public has until March 19 to comment. The plan will be presented to the Board of Supervisors for a vote this summer.

Palomar Airport Master Plan Seeks Clearance From Community
San Diego County is soliciting public comment on a 20-year master plan to improve Palomar Airport in Carlsbad.

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