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Reid-Hillview is an economic, social, and
environmental disaster for East San Jose, San Jose, and Santa Clara
county.
- RHV contributes approximately $10,000,000 a year to the economy.
- RHV provides approximately 100 jobs for county residents.
- It will take RHV 200 years to equal the one year economic output of a
high-tech campus located on this site.
- 60% of RHV flights are the result of student pilots. At
least 80% of all flights are recreational.
- The majority of neighborhood schools and homes were
built BEFORE this airport was built. The county made a
terrible land-use decision by building a recreational airport in the middle of
a residential neighborhood.
- Nobody should be learning how to fly in the middle of a residential
neighborhood.
- Since many student flights consist of simply flying in circles, over and
over and over and over, practicing takeoffs and landings, 80%, or
higher, of all operations (takeoff or landing) are the result of student
pilots.
- Many of these student pilots are from Europe and Asia.
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Eliminate the flight schools and the airport becomes a ghost
town.
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Based on FAA tower records at RHV (data gathered daily from 7 AM to 10
PM, although the airport is open 24 hours) there are over 230,000 annual
operations at RHV in the year 2000. This averages to an operation
every 86 seconds between the hours of 7 AM and 10 PM, 365 days a
year. Additionally, 67% (154,000) of these operations were from
pilots flying in circles practicing takeoffs and landings. This averages
to an operation every 127 seconds.
- Even though this is a county airport, located in the
middle of a residential neighborhood, the
county has no control over the pilots, or their
activity, at the county's own airport.
- Approximately 40,000 people live in the immediate vicinity of
RHV.
- The right of these people to expect peace, quiet, and safety in their home far exceeds
any so-called right of someone to engage in an anti-social hobby.
- If RHV were located in any other equally populated area of Santa Clara
county it would have been closed years ago.
- RHV depresses the local economy by a factor of 100 to
200.
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RHV benefits approximately
two-tenths of one percent of county residents.
This means at least 99.8% of county residents will not use
RHV.
- RHV severely reduces property values, which results in less tax revenue for
schools.
- RHV is severely reducing the wealth of people who can least afford
this reduction in their family's net worth.
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The paltry economic contribution of Reid-Hillview results in
substantially reduced tax revenue for San Jose compared to other economic uses
of the land.
- The Hillview library on Ocala Avenue cannot be expanded at its
current location due to opposition from the airport and it will be
relocated to another location. However, it is virtually guaranteed that
the new location will not be as convenient for local children as is the
current location.
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The Hank Lopez Community Center on Ocala Avenue had to return a 1
million dollar grant for expansion due to opposition from the
airport.
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San Jose has declared the neighborhoods to the north, north-west, and
north-east of Reid-Hillview as blighted. These are the
neighborhoods most directly impacted by pilots flying in circles practicing
takeoffs and landings, and other departures.
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RHV significantly lowers the standard of living in East San Jose compared
to similar neighborhoods in West San Jose, South San Jose, Cupertino, Santa
Clara, etc.
- The airport, simply by its existence, is a significant contributing factor
to the blight and crime in the area.
- Every day, East San Jose residents (pregnant women,
children, and adults) are being exposed to
lead particles
from the exhaust of private planes continually flying in circles, fuel spills
at the airport, and gas fumes escaping during re-fueling.
- East San Jose children, and adults, are being physically and psychology harmed on a
daily basis by the incessant noise from RHV planes.
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Other than being conveniently located, RHV provides no significant
benefits to county residents.
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The 1999 Harvey Rose Airport Audit for the county clearly demonstrates there is
insufficient demand in Santa Clara county to support
three airports.
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Santa Clara county needs to close RHV and distribute its business between
the other two county airports. If they still cannot be made profitable
then the county should get out of the airport business.
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The 1999
Harvey Rose Airport Audit for the county states that
"general aviation airports are not a County-mandated service and are of
primary benefit to their users".
- RHV is on 180 acres of land at the intersection of 101 and 280/680.
This land is worth approximately 300 million dollars.
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In essence, pilots use this land for free. The county airport
system is simply welfare for the rich.
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Since RHV only benefits its users, who are
only two-tenths of one percent of county residents,
pilots need to be charged for every operation (takeoff
or landing) performed at RHV. This money will be used to compensate East
San Jose for the tremendous economic loss (billions of dollars) and negative
social costs that result from RHV.
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RHV is nothing more than a county run private club on county
land.
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The presence of Reid-Hillview drags down the surrounding neighborhood and
the ripple effect from RHV drags down the entire eastside.
- There are not any honest, intelligent, rational, reasonable
arguments in
favor of the airport.
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The additional sales tax revenue generated from increased sales at
adjacent Eastridge mall will benefit the entire city.
- The increased sales will result in more profit for the Eastridge stores.
- Most, if not all, East San Jose businesses will see an increase in sales.
- The increased sales will provide more jobs for local residents, including
entry level jobs for area youth.
- The high-tech campus will provide a variety of jobs for local residents.
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The high-tech companies locating at this site can be encouraged to
support the local schools with equipment, supplies, and voluntary help.
- The tax revenue from the companies located on the site will benefit the
East San Jose school system.
- The tax revenue from the companies located on the site will benefit the
entire city.
- The livability and desirability of the surrounding neighborhood will
immediately increase.
- Workers at the high-tech campus will move into the neighborhood.
- Some, or all, of the new housing can be low income housing or designated
for teachers, the police, etc.
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As East San Jose becomes a more desirable location the school system and
other social institutions will benefit.
- Blight and crime in the area will decrease.
- Instead of the land producing approximately $10,000,000 per year for the
economy it will produce a minimum of 1 to 2 billion dollars a year.
- Home equity will increase for local home owners allowing them to remodel
their homes and send their children to college.
- The increased property tax collection from home sales will benefit San
Jose and the local school system.
- The entire Bay area will benefit from reduced and redistributed freeway
traffic.
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Since the high-tech campus will be virtually deserted at night and on the
weekends, permanent local traffic will only minimally increase.
- Light rail can be extended down Capitol Expressway providing an
alternative commute vehicle.
- Local residents can either walk or bicycle to work.
- All county residents will benefit from a revitalized East San Jose.
- Developing Reid-Hillview will delay and minimize development in Coyote
Valley and Edenvale.
- No more pilots flying in circles, over and over and over, practicing
takeoffs and landings and disturbing thousands of eastside residents.
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No more lead poisoning of pregnant women, children, and adults.
- No more physical and psychological harm to children and adults from noise.
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The inevitable fatal plane crash into a school, apartment, Eastridge, or
a house will be avoided.
