With less than a week before the matter would have gone to litigation, Oakland Airport has reached a settlement over community noise complaints, air quality and traffic concerns that will clear the way for the airport’s major expansion project.
The Port of Oakland, which operates the Oakland Airport, agreed to reduce noise pollution during the project as part of its settlement with the city of Alameda and the community group Citizens League for Airport Safety and Serenity. All three parties unanimously approved a settlement on Tuesday.
“This agreement will go a long way towards addressing the concerns of CLASS and its members,” said CLASS President Jon Hamilton in a Port of Oakland press release. “We are pleased that there will now be an official OAK Noise Plan setting forth the Port’s commitments to address noise impacts from flights over our communities.”
CLASS and the Port of Oakland could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.
The settlement will permit Oakland Airport to proceed with long-awaited plans to replace Terminal 1 with a new terminal with up to 16 gates and modernize its existing terminals and facilities that meet modern safety, seismic and efficiency standards, according to the Port of Oakland. Port officials had finalized the environmental impact report for the expansion in November.
But the final EIR drew criticism from the community in the weeks that followed, and some environmental organizations sought to stop the airport with an injunction for allegedly understating the “true impacts” on noise, air pollution and traffic that the construction would have on nearby communities.
In recent months, Oakland Airport representatives from the Port of Oakland had weekly meetings with CLASS, which represents 3,000 households on Bay Farm Island and Harbor Bay Isle, to discuss amenable terms to limit the project’s impact and allow it to proceed. The sides agreed to a March 24 deadline to reach an agreement before resorting to litigation.
The settlement agreed to on Tuesday includes 20 separate adjustments that the Port of Oakland pledged to make to its plan. These include limiting construction during evenings and early morning hours, measures to reduce construction volume, traffic control planning measures and air-quality monitoring to address concerns about pollution.
“We are deeply appreciative of the continued partnership with CLASS and the City of Alameda and the joint commitment to finding common ground,” Port of Oakland Executive Director Kristi McKenney said in a press release.
Port of Oakland officials have laid out a five-year blueprint to invest in its facilities to encourage more travelers to fly into the East Bay transportation center. Key aspects of the plan call for modernizing Oakland Airport, expanding retail and food options, and maximizing land value at its properties.
“This is an important step as we seek to modernize the airport and be responsive to the needs of our local communities,” McKenney said.