Reid-Hillview Airport Update: Ask County to Accelerate Closure

January 24, 2023January 26, 2023Juan Estrada

Reid-Hillview Airport in high-density, park-poor East San Jose. Photo credit: Jeremy Zawodny, flickr

Lea la versión en español aquí.

With a new supervisor joining the County Board, and a federal agency taking new action, this is an opportune time to remind the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors of their commitment to pursue early closure of Reid-Hillview Airport in East San Jose. Please ask the board to take action for clean air and soil, and increased parks and green space in this underserved neighborhood.

What’s Happening

For over two years, Green Foothills and our allies have partnered with East San Jose residents to close Reid-Hillview Airport and repurpose the 180 acres of land for a community-centered vision that includes parks and natural habitat. The surrounding neighborhoods have endured lack of sufficient urban green space, constant noise, risk of plane crashes, and dangerous air pollution for decades.

In August 2021, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to pursue early closure of Reid-Hillview Airport and to ban the sale of leaded fuel at county airports. The decision was in response to hearing from thousands of residents, including Green Foothills supporters. However, the harmful lead exposure to children did not cease with the ban on sale of leaded fuel, because planes using leaded fuel from other sources are still able to use Reid-Hillview Airport.

In October 2021, Santa Clara County, supported by Green Foothills and other environmental organizations, petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to act. The EPA issued a preliminary “endangerment finding” in October 2022 that indicated leaded fuel emissions from aircraft cause or contribute to air pollution that endangers public health.

The public comment period for the preliminary finding ended January 17, and the EPA expects to issue a final version this year, which could allow the EPA to regulate and potentially ban the use of leaded aviation fuel nationwide.

Why It Matters

In addition to protecting public health, the closure of Reid-Hillview Airport represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create new urban green space in a park-deficient urban area. The airport is an inappropriate use in the dense urban environment, with some people actually living within the airport buffer zone. While an eventual ban on leaded aviation fuel by the EPA would be welcome, the community will continue to suffer the other harmful effects of the airport as long as it continues to operate. The County should close the airport as soon as possible and repurpose the land for better uses, including open space, as the East San Jose community demands.

With a new County Supervisor, Sylvia Arenas, joining the County Board this month, as well as the EPA issuing its preliminary findings, this is an especially opportune time to reach out to board members and remind them of their commitment to pursue early closure of the airport.

What You Can Do

Send an email to County Supervisors asking them to accelerate efforts to close Reid-Hillview Airport. It is time to continue the path toward improved land use with green space that benefits all. In addition, the County should protect the San Martin community, where the County’s other small airport is located, from impacts related to the closure.

Comments (11)

Reply

Lisa Voss
January 25, 2023

Throughout the South Bay, local neighborhood parks on the valley floor itself (not the foothills’ local open space preserves) are severely lacking/inadequate in both quantity and acreage. I agree that we need more neighborhood parks that serve those who are on a time crunch (maybe children and parents/caregivers, who may visit on a weekday afternoon for a few minutes after school) or those without transportation or with mobility issues, who can’t easily travel to the wonderful open space preserves that we have up in our local hills–which we have thanks to the great efforts of the excellent Committee for Green Foothills. Right now, East San Jose has Lake Cunningham Action Sports Park, Hillview Park, Welch Park. Boggini Park, Grosbeak Hill Park, and Fernish Park within about a two miles radius–that’s actually not that bad compared to the quantity and acreage of parks of many towns across Santa Clara County’s valley floor and San Jose proper. Maybe you’d like to see something of the quality of Martial Cottle Park, (Martial Cottle Sr. is a true nature/ag. lover and great local hero for donating his land for that park, which is seven miles away from Reid Hillview). Hellyer is six miles away. But a park of that calibre is realistically not going to happen on that site. If Reid-Hillview closed, it would become high density, low income housing. –That is so necessary, too, but so are airports. People live next to airports all over the world, including around SJ Mineta, SFO, and San Martin. The EPA’s banning lead at small airports is the solution to this problem, not pushing traffic to San Martin, which also has a lot of homes with children adjacent. Also, where will the planes go to fuel when they need to fight East Bay wildfires in the summer? A city needs airports for security. Reid Hillview also serves local youth who wish to learn to fly, which creates good jobs for them for their futures. Closing it is not a good idea; the EPA banning leaded fuel now, across the nation is the flight I’ll make. Thank you.
- Reply
  
  Juan Estrada
  February 1, 2023
  
  Dear Linda,
  
  Thank you for sharing your thoughts and noting that more neighborhood parks would be better.
  
  One distinction between Reid-Hillview Airport (RHV) and other area airports is that it is a dense urban environment, not just next to it. People live within the airport buffer zone due to past poor land use decisions. While an eventual ban on leaded aviation fuel by the EPA would be welcome, the surrounding community will continue to suffer the other harmful effects of the airport as long as it continues to operate.
  
  Green Foothills’ requests for RHV closure have included ensuring that there would be no adverse effects to the San Martin community. When the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted in 2021 to pursue early closure of RHV, that vote included a commitment to not increasing capacity at San Martin Airport. Also, our understanding is that planes based at RHV are privately owned and are able to relocate anywhere they would like. They are not obligated to stay in the same county or even the same state. If one more more chose to relocate to San Martin Airport, their preference would be subject to existing capacity. We will continue to advocate for no adverse impacts to the San Martin community related to RHV closure.
  
  Lastly, it is our understanding that firefighting planes cannot utilize Reid-Hillview Airport and have not done so in the past. It is also our understanding that 8 acres of the 180 acre site would be needed for use by firefighting helicopters, such as those that have utilized Reid-Hillview Airport in the past. When the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted in August 2021 to pursue early closure, the vote included ensuring that a portion of the site would be used for emergency operations in the future. We supported, and will continue to support, that usage in the future.
  
  Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with us.
  
  Sincerely,
  Juan Estrada
  Advocacy Associate and Organizer
Reply

Stephen McHenry
January 25, 2023

This article contains many inaccuracies or misleading statements.

1. Now that 80% of flights at Reid-Hillview (RHV) use unleaded fuel, the county’s own lead study shows that it is no more hazardous to live close to the airport vs. farther away (See Figure 15 on Page 58). And the transition to 100% unleaded fuel has already begun. GAMI (one of the 100UL manufacturers) are already issuing Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) so that airplanes can use their fuel.

2. The county DID NOT vote to close the airport – even in 2031. The county voted to do everything possible to remove lead from the environment including banning the sale of leaded fuel and up to and including POSSIBLE closure of the airport. Lead is being removed by other means which now makes closure unnecessary.

3. Safety – an SRI study determined that, if RHV was repurposed into residential or light commercial, people nearby would be 11-18 times MORE LIKELY to die in a traffic accident than as a ground-based fatality in an airplane crash, and 800-1300 times more likely to be injured in a traffic accident than a ground-based injury in an airplane crash.

4. Dense urban environment – Many airports BUSIER than RHV exist in urban environments that are equally or more dense than RHV, including Van Nuys, Love Field (Dallas), Midway (Chicago), Gillespie and Montgomery (both San Diego), Long Beach, Falcon (Mesa, AZ), and even O’Hare – the busiest airport in the country.

5. Residents nearby don’t seem to understand that rents will go up $500-$1000/month if the airport is gone. Just check comps around Santa Clara County.

6. The airport provides jobs, a base for firefighting operations (if needed), humanitarian support (Life Flight), disaster recovery, education and training – all things that would go away if the airport was closed. And, once you lose an airport, you can’t get it back – even if you decide that losing it was a mistake.

7. Residents don’t realize that they are being “sold” open space and parks and low-income housing in order to get support for closing RHV, but what they are going to actually get is very high-density housing and strip malls – because that is what makes developers the most money. Traffic is horrible enough already and we don’t have enough power for everyone as it is now, when the weather gets hot. And, some years, we don’t even have enough water. More high density housing and strip malls are not what we need.

We need the airport far more than we need another Chipotle or Starbucks.
- Reply
  
  Juan Estrada
  January 26, 2023
  
  Dear Stephen,
  
  Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We understand that there is a difference of opinion between the community members living adjacent to Reid-Hillview Airport, or even within the airport’s buffer zone, and those living in other areas.
  
  Thank you also for noting progress related to one of the many issues with the airport. It is our understanding that Santa Clara County does not have data regarding the percentage of flights currently made using leaded fuel, but we agree that there is undoubtedly a reduction in its use given the ban on sales. The EPA’s endangerment finding may ultimately lead to a complete ban, which would eliminate that issue. The remaining issues would unfortunately persist.
  
  We understand that there is speculation about potential uses for the site along with corresponding benefits and impacts. It is our understanding that no plan currently exists for the future use of the Reid-Hillview site nor has the visioning process for the site resumed. It is also our understanding that community members, like you, will have an opportunity to participate in that visioning process once it resumes.
  
  We agree that the Board of Supervisors would need to vote to close the airport when the county has permission to do so. The Supervisors vote in August 2021 included ensuring that a portion of the site would be used for emergency operations. We will support that usage in the future. Our past request for closure included ensuring that there would be no adverse effects for the San Martin community. We will continue to advocate for that and, in fact, our blog post has been updated to note it.
  
  Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts.
  
  Sincerely,
  Juan Estrada
  Advocacy Associate and Organizer
Reply

Eileen Parks
January 27, 2023

I really have to agree with Stephen. Reid Hillview really doesn’t have that much traffic but is essential should we need an emergency airfield. The statement I have read that it contaminates more than any other airport in the area is absurd. San Jose airport? Really??From what I understand leaded gas is on its way out. We already have several parks locally including Alum Rock, Cunningham,etc I am afraid they are looking for high density housing property which would be unmanageable in the area.
- Reply
  
  Juan Estrada
  February 1, 2023
  
  Dear Eileen,
  
  Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
  
  I may have new information for you. It is our understanding that 8 acres of the 180 acre site would be needed for use by firefighting helicopters, such as those that have utilized Reid-Hillview Airport in the past. When the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted in August 2021 to pursue early closure, the vote included ensuring that a portion of the site would be used for emergency operations in the future. We supported, and will continue to support, that usage in the future.
  
  This article does not make a statement about airborne lead contamination at different airports. It seems possible you may be referencing a different article regarding that topic. Regarding whether leaded aviation fuel is on its way out: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expects to issue a finalized “endangerment finding” in October 2022 that will likely indicate that leaded fuel emissions from aircraft cause or contribute to air pollution that endangers public health. That could allow the EPA to regulate and potentially ban the use of leaded aviation fuel nationwide.
  
  We understand that there is speculation about potential uses for the site along with corresponding benefits and impacts. It is our understanding that no plan currently exists for the future use of the Reid-Hillview site nor has the visioning process for the site resumed. It is also our understanding that community members, like you, will have an opportunity to participate in that visioning process once it resumes. I encourage you to share your thoughts when the process resumes.
  
  Thank you again.
  
  Sincerely,
  Juan Estrada
  Advocacy Associate and Organizer
Reply

Joanne Beebe
January 28, 2023

I am very disappointed that Green Foothills has not looked into the harm to south valley communities that would result if Reid. Hillview were closed. Increased use of the San Martin airport were be seriously detrimental to South County. There would be additional traffic, on highway 101 which is already extremely congested. The noise pollution
would impact wildlife and humans alike.
Closing Reid Hillview would only be good for developers looking for profit and not increase green hills.
Reply

Juan Estrada
February 2, 2023

Dear Joanne,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I believe I may have new information for you. Green Foothills’ requests for Reid-Hillview Airport (RHV) closure have included ensuring that there would be no adverse effects to the San Martin community. When the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted in 2021 to pursue early closure of RHV, that vote included a commitment to not increasing capacity at San Martin Airport. Our understanding is also that planes based at RHV are privately owned and are able to relocate anywhere they would like. If one or more chose to relocate to San Martin Airport, their preference would be subject to existing capacity. We will continue to advocate for no adverse impacts to the San Martin community related to RHV closure.

Sincerely,
Juan Estrada
Advocacy Associate and Organizer
Reply

Jason Gordon
June 6, 2023

Airports been here for 3 generations, you can leave – it won’t.
Reply

Johnson Reed
September 19, 2023

I typically don’t get involved with local initiatives nor am I pilot but in this case the reasons to shutdown the airport are so unfounded and out of touch with the benefits and safety the airport provides, that I am writing to local representation to KEEP the airport, not accelerate it’s closure – thanks to this article.
Reply

Chris
April 15, 2024

Does anyone else think it is ironic that the photo at the top of this post was taken from an airplane. 😂

What’s Happening

Why It Matters

What You Can Do

Juan Estrada

Juan Estrada

Juan Estrada

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