The Santa Maria City Council reaffirmed its position on the Airport Business Park project Tuesday on a unanimous vote.

The council voted 5-0 to approve the second reading of two ordinances, one that repeals the previous research park plan for the site and replaces it with the current business park proposal, and another that rezones the 740-acre site.

Both ordinances take effect 30 days after adoption.

In December the City Council approved five actions regarding the proposed airport business park, including the first reading of two ordinances.

Santa Maria Public Airport District officials are planning to build a business park and golf course on 740 acres just south of the airfield near Foster Road and west of Highway 135. Since the airport is within Santa Maria's municipal jurisdiction, the city must approve the development.

Plans to develop the airport property have been in the works for nearly two decades as officials worked through several obstacles. The most recent issues centered on endangered species and how to close a mobile-home park on the project site.

Mitigation measures for endangered species have been included in the proposed plan, and airport officials have obtained supporting documents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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However, questions about the fate of people living in the mobile-home park have dominated recent discussions of the project.

The residents of the 90-unit park have joined together and have lately been represented by local attorney Mario Juarez, who submitted a list of items to be fixed at the park and has been helping residents negotiate lease terms for their units.

As part of the second reading, council members asked to see copies of leases that are being offered to mobile home tenants and a timetable for maintenance.

Both were included in council's written staff report.

According to airport officials, many of the problems listed by Juarez have been addressed, but numerous paving projects can't be completed until the weather warms up.

Additionally, instead of drafting new leases, the airport has approved an amendment to current leases that offers a three-year term starting Feb. 1 and ending Jan. 31, 2011.

One caveat to the amendment is that everything is contingent on approval of the specific plan and environmental documents. If anyone files a lawsuit challenging the city's approval, then the leases revert back to a month-to-month arrangement, airport officials said.

Councilwoman Hilda Zacarias made it clear to those in attendance Tuesday that the residents are not giving up their right to challenge the conversion impact report or relocation plan once those plans are made by the airport for the closure of the park.

Malia Spencer can be reached at 739-2219 or mspencer@santamariatimes.com.

January 16, 2008