A proposed housing development near the Watsonville Municipal Airport faced a significant setback in court due to concerns over noise pollution. The project, which included 21 townhomes located directly across from the airport, was initially seen as a small-scale initiative. However, it sparked considerable debate within the aviation community and ultimately led to a legal battle that resulted in its defeat.
The conflict began when the city of Watsonville approved the Townhome Project in 2021. The Watsonville Pilots Association (WPA), a group representing local pilots, filed a lawsuit against the city, arguing that the approval violated state aviation safety laws. Their case was based on a technicality related to the city’s general plan, which is required by the State Aeronautics Act to include land use guidelines for developments near airports.
These guidelines are outlined in a handbook published by Caltrans, which provides statewide standards for ensuring compatibility between land use and airport operations. However, due to a previous lawsuit from the WPA in the early 2000s, the city’s general plan was invalidated, leaving a gap in how the city could legally approve developments near the airport.
When the city council approved the 21-unit project, it did so without adopting a revised general plan that incorporated the Caltrans handbook. City officials claimed that an independent environmental review, including a 2018 noise study, showed that noise levels were below the recommended thresholds. However, Judge Timothy Schmal ruled that the city had no discretion to use its own analysis since the handbook was not part of the general plan.
In his February 3 ruling, Judge Schmal determined that the city had violated state aviation safety law by rubber-stamping the project using an inadequate general plan. He also noted that the environmental review relied on a study that failed to adequately analyze noise impacts. As a result, the court ordered the city to halt the townhouse project and pause other developments near the airport until it updates its general plan to meet state standards.
Orry Korb, a board member of the WPA, emphasized that noise is a critical issue for airports and their surrounding communities. “Residential development near airports is a conflict,” he said. Korb pointed to examples like San Jose Mineta International Airport, which has a noise-based curfew, and Reid-Hillview Airport, which faces closure due to noise complaints.
The conflict over housing near the Watsonville Municipal Airport has been ongoing for decades. Following the 1989 earthquake, some residents proposed closing the airport to build affordable housing. This sparked a long-standing debate between local pilots and airport supporters who sought to protect the facility.
The city of Watsonville has been working to revise its general plan since 2000, aiming to create a 2030 General Plan that would allow for more housing near the airport. However, several attempts to update the plan have been rejected by courts, with judges citing violations of state aviation law. In 2008, a superior court ruled that the city had failed to adopt the necessary safety and density criteria outlined in the Caltrans handbook.
Douglas Rice, regional vice president of the California Pilots Association, stated that the court’s decision will have broader implications for airports across the state. “This ruling will resonate at airports throughout the state which continue to ignore compliance with state safety standards,” he said.
Watsonville is currently updating its planning guidelines for land use near the airport and expects to present a draft for its General Plan 2050 for public review later this year. The outcome of this process will determine how the city can proceed with future developments while complying with state aviation regulations.
