SATE OF CALIFORNIA-BUSINESS, TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING AGENCY	PETE WILSON, Governor

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AERONAUTICS PROGRAM M.S. #40 1120 N STREET - ROOM 3300 P.O. BOX 942873 SACRAMENTO, CA 94273-0001 (916) 654-4959 FAX (916) 653-9531

February 3, 2000 Charles Lester District Manager California Coastal Commission Central Coast District Office 725 Front Street, Suite 300 Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Dear Mr. Lester: In response to your letter dated January 24, 2000, the following answers your directed questions are provided:

1. Question: Is Area C (see map enclosed), or any portion of it, a suitable location for a public school under the applicable law?

Area C as depicted on your map shows a considerable larger area than the site we evaluated in 1992 and 1997. Attached is a map of the site we evaluated. Click to view Any siting of school facilities outside of the areas depicted on the map originally submitted by the Pajaro Valley Unified School District in 1992 would invalidate our evaluations and another school site evaluation may be required.

2. Question: What accounts for the change in determination on the Harkins Slough Road Site change from 'incompatible with school development' in 1987 to 'suitable for a school' in 1992? What were the "safety and noise concerns" observed by your office regarding the Harkins Slough Road site in 1992?

This site has always been a fence sitter. A subtle change in the conditions of the airport's operating environment would tip scales one way or the other. During the early and mid 1990s general aviation activity was at an all time low and predictions the industry forecasted grim prospects for a recovery. Those numbers were brought down the estimated and projected activity counts for the Watsonville Municipal Airport. This change was in large part the reason we favored the school site. Additionally the site we evaluated in 1992 had different boundaries than the one we evaluated in 1987.

3. Question: The January 21, 1992, letter said your office's determination that the Harkins Slough Road site was suitable for a school would expire January 31, 1997. Has a new determination or an extension of this determination been granted? If so, can you please provide us with a copy? If not, will one be necessary?

Page 2

We reviewed the 1992 evaluation, verified any change to the airport operating environment and considered the factors we researched, came to the same conclusion of the 1992 evaluation and issued an extension. 4. Question: Did (or will) your site suitability-analysis focus on existing flight patterns and numbers of flights at the Watsonville Airport, or is it based upon expected future flight patterns and numbers of flights (for example, flight patterns and numbers of flights that may be expected under the airport master plan?) Has there been a change in flight patterns and or number of flights since 1992 such that your office's determination of suitability for the Harkins Slough Road site would likewise change? Our evaluation weighted both the current operations and the projected operations at about the same. We take into account flight patterns, number of operations, operating altitudes, expected aircraft maneuvers and type of aircraft expected to operate over the site. We glean our information from the master plan, airport manager interviews, various government documents and from direct observations. Over the past couple of years, we have noticed an increase in operations at the Watsonville Municipal Airport. It is difficult to predict whether a favorable site recommendation would occur if the site were reevaluated today, since many factors must be considered before we come to a conclusion. Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will not speculate at this point short of the formal evaluation process. The process is initiated at the behest of the school district as stipulated in the education code. Caltrans will respond, after the request is sent through the Department of Education. 5. Question It is our understanding that the applicable state requirements for public school sighting near airports were revised in 1993; please confirm whether this is or is not the case. What is the currently applicable law governing siting of public schools near airports? The criteria we use for sighting of schools really have not changed over the years, however, we have formalized our procedures in 1998 to standardize the way we evaluate sites and to provide better record keeping. In 1993, Caltrans published the Airport Land Use Planning Handbook and the information contained within is now considered in the evaluations we conduct. The current applicable law for sighting a school in the vicinity of an airport is Education Code 17215.

If you have any further questions or if we may be of assistance, please let us know. Sincerely Original signed by DANIEL R GARGAS Aviation Safety Office Enclosure