L.A. Says Airport Land Law Applies

SACRAMENTO —  Lawyers for Los Angeles County have determined that the county is not exempted from a potentially far-reaching new law that could curb developments around airports.

County officials had cated that they felt the wording of the law was so vague that it might have exempted Los Angeles County.

But in an interview, Charles Moore, principal deputy county counsel, said the county “will be complying with the terms” of the law by Sen. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach), which takes effect Jan. 1.

The law puts teeth into existing statutes aimed at ensuring that such construction projects as hotels and industrial parks are compatible with airports. The law is designed to protect pilots from undue hazards around airports and protect people who live and work around airports from noise and safety hazards.

Bergeson pushed to toughen the law because land-use plans have been completed for only slightly more than half the state’s 269 airports. Los Angeles County has not prepared a land-use plan for any of the 16 airports in the county.

Under the new law, if an airport does not have a plan, many construction projects--some as far away as 2 miles from airports--will need approval from county airport land-use commissions as well as local governments. The plans must be completed by June 30, 1991.

John Huttinger, who will oversee formulation of the plans for the county Regional Planning Commission, said the law has a potentially sweeping impact.

“Each city must submit any action it takes affecting the use of land in the vicinity of an airport” to Regional Planning, which will serve as the airport land-use commission, Huttinger said. “We have no idea how many actions that will be,” he added.