Section 21632 Of Article 2. State Airports And Air Navigation Facilities From California Public Utilities Code >> Division 9. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 2.
21632
. (a) The department may also acquire existing airports and
air navigation facilities, but it shall not acquire any airport or
air navigation facility owned or controlled by a political
subdivision of this or any other state without the consent of the
political subdivision.
(b) Whenever an airport owned or operated by the United States in
this state ceases to be so owned or operated, the department, in
consultation with local and regional transportation planning
agencies, may evaluate the present and future need for the airport in
the state's public-use airport system, including the need for both
the transportation of people and goods. The purpose of the evaluation
is to determine aviation needs and does not eliminate any
requirement of the California Environmental Quality Act, Division 13
(commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code.
(c) Prior to finalizing the evaluation, the department shall
submit a copy of its report to the commission for review and comment.
The commission shall complete its review and forward any comments to
the department not later than 45 days after receiving the
evaluation.
(d) Upon completion of its evaluation, the department may make a
recommendation to the Legislature, the commission, the affected local
agencies, and the appropriate federal agency for the airport's
ownership and type of operation as a public-use airport, if the
department determines that the airport would be of significant
benefit to the state's airport system. It is the intent of the
Legislature that the department, in making its recommendation, give
priority for ownership and operation of these public-use airports to
a local political subdivision or subdivisions acting jointly.
(e) Notwithstanding Section 21606, if a political subdivision or
subdivisions acting jointly notify the department of their intentions
to prepare a reuse plan for the airport, and simultaneously apply to
the Federal Aviation Administration for a federal grant to develop
an airport master plan for the airport, the department shall not make
its recommendation pursuant to subdivision (d). If the department's
evaluation determines that the airport would be of significant
benefit to the state's airport system, and the political subdivision
or subdivisions acting jointly fail to convert the federal airport to
a civil public-use airport in accordance with the department's
evaluation within five years of notification to the department, or
fail to evidence substantial progress toward that purpose as
determined by the department, then the department may take action in
accordance with subdivision (f).
(f) If the department determines the airport is of present or
future benefit to the state's public-use airport system, and no
political subdivision applies to the appropriate federal agency to
acquire or operate the airport, or has notified the department of its
intention to prepare a reuse plan for the airport and thereafter
fails to act upon its application pursuant to subdivision (e), the
department may, subject to subdivision (g), assist in the formation
of a public entity to own and operate the airport which shall be
representative of political subdivisions in the area which surrounds
and is served by the airport, as determined by the department. If
established, the owning and operating entity may, subject to
subdivision (g), prepare and submit an application to the appropriate
federal agency to acquire or operate, or acquire and operate, the
airport as a public airport.
(g) Notwithstanding subdivision (f), if any political subdivision
has previously applied to the appropriate federal agency to acquire
and operate the airport as a public airport, has completed all
required environmental and fiscal evaluations, and subsequently
withdrew its application prior to December 31, 1988, the department
shall not file any application to acquire or operate the airport or
assist in the formation of a public entity to own and operate the
airport.