Public Hearing on Gnoss Field Expansion Scheduled for February

By Karina Ioffee

Marin County wants to expand its airport at Gnoss Field, extending the runway by more than 1,000 feet in an effort to bring the airport into compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration.

The plans also include adding a taxiway and various embankments to make it easier for planes to take off and land at the airport, located north of Novato.

Gnoss Field was built in the ‘50s and serves approximately 85,000 operations each year. It’s run by the county and is used by the Civil Air Patrol, medical emergency helicopters and the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, which keeps a helicopter there.

Supporters of the plan say the extension will not only make the airport compliant with the FAA, but also result in additional grants and other funding to do badly-needed improvements, such as sealing cracks in the runway.

“Anything that’s good for the airport is good for Marin County,” said Mark Sheron, president of the Gnoss Field Community Association, which promotes the interests of local pilots.

The airport generates approximately $500,000 in property taxes, half of which is funneled into Novato City Schools, he said.

But extending the runway will require in-filling approximately 12 acres of wetlands, prompting concerns from environmentalists.

One of those groups has been the Marin Conservation League, which has pushed for more scrutiny of the project.

“They (Marin County Supervisors) want to be attractive for business that have their own planes,” said Susan Stompe, president of the environmental group and a former Novato mayor. “It’s about the potential for business operations.”

Extending the runway also means that owners of the Cessna 525, a jet often used to transport cargo into the North Bay, will be able to fill it to full capacity, even on hot days, something they are now not able to do.

The Conservation League is also concerned about drainage water coming from Mt. Burdell that will have to be redirected under the plan and noise impacts.

According to environmental documents, the lost wetlands will be mitigated, meaning new wetlands will be created nearby.

The improvements will not result in more plane trips nor an airline using the airport for commercial flights, something nearby residents have been worried about.

A public hearing to discuss the project has been scheduled for Tuesday, February 11, 2014 in the Marin County Board of Supervisors Chambers, Room 330 of the Marin Civic Center.