American Avocets: Garrett Lau
Speak for the Birds: STOP Palo Alto Airport Expansion
What is happening?
On Monday, September 16, the Palo Alto City Council will discuss alternatives for the expansion of the Palo Alto Airport. The proposed alternatives include extension of the runway into wetlands at the Bayland Nature Preserve, expansion of runways closer to the baylands and intensification of operations, including more parking and pavement and accommodating larger aircraft!
Airport staff suggest that this expansion is needed to increase safety and improve operations. However, the FAA does not require any changes which means that the airport can continue to provide service as it does now.
To learn about the alternatives, you may click here to download the staff report. The description of project alternatives begins on page 8. Click here for the City Council meeting agenda document (Look for Item 3).
Why is this important?
The Palo Alto Airport is located in the midst of our most precious assets: the Baylands Nature Preserve, the lagoon that envelopes the Duck Pond, Byxbee Park, San Francisquito Creek and the San Francisco Bay. The Baylands are a critical resource for millions of birds, and hundreds of thousands of people who visit the Baylands and enjoy their beauty. The airport and its operations are already imposing a heavy toll on the Baylands, and on our neighbors in East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and the St. Francis and Duveneck neighborhoods in Palo Alto, including noise pollution and lead deposition.
Airport expansion, changes in runway location, increase in number of flights and ongoing use of fossil and leaded fuel could exacerbate impacts on the Baylands’ habitat and ecosystems and the people who visit and live close by. The locations being considered for expansion would take away invaluable, non-replaceable wetlands, increase greenhouse gas emissions and increase noise pollution and lead deposition on our Baylands and communities.
What can you do?
1) In advance of the meeting, you can send an email to Mayor Stone and the Palo Alto City Council members: City.Council@CityofPaloAlto.org.
Talking Points:
Please tell the City Council about yourself and why you care. Tell them YOUR story. Tell them why the Baylands Nature Preserve, migratory birds, education programs, the golf course, the trails and other park amenities that are important to you.
Talk about how the airport has impacted you or your neighborhood through noise pollution or air pollution. Tell the council that you don't want more of it.
Ask the Council not to expand the airport into the Palo Alto baylands or other designated parkland. Ask them not to move the runway closer to wetlands. Ask them also not to introduce any new asphalt anywhere - within or outside of the airport property.
Ask the Council not to take any action that may intensify the operations and the number of flights at the airport, or allow larger planes to use the runways.
2) Join us either virtually or in-person at the Palo Alto City Council meeting on Monday, September 16, or send an email to the City Council (see talking points above).
In-Person Instructions
You can park underneath Palo Alto City Hall at 250 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301. The parking lot entrance can be found on Ramona Street.
Inside the City Council Chambers you will find a table on the right which contains speaker cards. Take a speaker card, fill out your name and that you are interested in speaking on Agenda Item 3. Hand your completed card to the City Clerk, who sits at a desk close to the audience seating.
Our item will start at approximately 6:30pm. There will be a presentation, then questions by council members, and then the public will speak (that's us). The clerk will call your name when it is your time to speak.
You can prepare a 2-minute or less public comment. Depending on the number of speakers, your time to speak may be reduced to 1 minute.
Zoom Instructions
Click this link to join the meeting: https://cityofpaloalto.zoom.us/j/362027238
(Note: you can also find this link in the meeting agenda document)
When item 3 begins, click the “raise hand” button on Zoom to get in queue for your public comment.
The clerk will call your name and ask you to un-mute your microphone when it is your time to speak.
3) Sign and share the Petition