By: BARBARA HENRY - Staff Writer | ∞
Passengers use an old terminal at the McClellan Palomar airport. County officials plan a new 18,000-square-foot terminal building to replace the old buildings.
CARLSBAD ---- San Diego County officials are expected to unveil plans tonight for a modern airport terminal to replace the aging collection of portable buildings now serving airline passengers at McClellan-Palomar Airport.
"I've already got the 'Pardon Our Dust While We Modernize' signs," joked the airport director, Willie Vasquez, as he discussed the county's long-desired project Wednesday.
Plans for the 18,000-square-foot terminal will be shown at a meeting of the Palomar Airport Advisory Committee at 7 p.m. in the City Council chambers, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive in Carlsbad.
An initial look at the documents Wednesday revealed a long, modern-looking structure with areas for passengers arriving and departing, as well as a rental car section, restaurant and concession counter.
The building is estimated to cost between $12 million and $16 million, depending on the final architectural plans, county officials said.
Financing is already settling into place, coming from such sources as state grants, the Federal Aviation Administration, bond money and the airport's enterprise fund, said Peter Drinkwater, director of San Diego County airports.
The county plans to start the work in 2008 and finish by early 2009, he said.
One of the busiest airports in the county in terms of landings and takeoffs, the facility just north of Palomar Airport Road has offered commercial airline service since the early 1990s. Years ago, the airport's first "terminal" was two linked portable buildings.
More than a decade later, there are five joined portables, Vasquez said.
"There's really no sense of order or anything," he said as he gave a tour of the portables Wednesday.
Inside the cramped structure are ticket counters for America West and United Airlines, a couple dozen chairs around a TV, and a baggage inspection area. A side room serves as a holding area for passengers who have already been screened by security.
The county plans to remove the portables, as well as a small administration/rental car building next door. The new terminal won't go in that area, however. It will rise where the airport's short-term parking area is now. Another parking area for 700 cars will be built, and the current airplane parking area expanded.
"This is part of the overall program to improve Palomar Airport," Drinkwater said as he discussed work done recently at the facility, including several large projects by private leaseholders. "The private sector has made their commitment and they're delivering. Now, we're following through with our part of the plan."
One private project recently done by Premier Jet generated a huge amount of controversy because it caused the demolition of many hangars used for years by the owners of small airplanes.
Those planes are about to get a new home. On July 28, airport officials will cut the ribbon on the newly completed north side ramp that has 130 outdoor, tie-down spots for small planes. That $6.7 million project also included a 3,400-foot taxiway and an underground detention basin.
Though money is pouring in to upgrade the airport, about a half-dozen passengers said Wednesday that they like the place just the way it is. They urged a reporter to write as little as possible about the airport.
"I try not to tell people about the airport because I love the smallness of it and it's five minutes from my house," said Carlsbad resident Arlene May, who uses the facility several times a year.
Vista resident Mike Mersy, who travels once a month on business, said he uses Palomar to avoid the "dreadful drive" to San Diego's much larger airport.
He said he has few traffic problems getting to Palomar, and once he's there, he can quickly board his plane. He refused to say how short the boarding process is, saying that everybody would use Palomar if they knew.
The biggest complaint from passengers wasn't about the facility ---- they just wanted more flights. Maybe, they said, modernization will bring that.
Contact staff writer Barbara Henry at (760) 901-4072 or bhenry@nctimes.com.
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El Jefe wrote on Jul 20, 2006 5:59 AM:Shhh! Don't tell anyone about our airport.
steve wrote on Jul 20, 2006 8:10 AM:Another example of bumbling bureaucrats and greedy, short sighted airport managers, all in bed with construction companies and developers! 99% of the traffic at Palomar/CRQ is PRIVATE traffic which DOES NOT NEED or USE a terminal. The scheduled service has several, repeat 'several' flights per day all of whom the current hodge-podge terminal serves. Who cares how it 'looks' or the image it presents, it gets pax in and out very quickly. But instead of being smart, they want to 'expand' the terminal into the short term parking! You clowns want to take away what iittle close, walkable short-term parking there is and put a terminal in it's place? A terminal that is not needed? Remember, you can't fix 'stupid'. Hmmmm, I wonder how many friends the airport people have with the folks that will do the construction.....can you smell kickbacks? One sad note, after the brilliant minds, and I do mean brilliant, bulldozed the restaurant (which was an absolute treasure), the passengers (and crew and other pilots and workers) have no where to eat at the airport. Thanks airport managers! I'm so sick and tired of these two-bit officials with their grubby little paws on the purse-strings, but without the mind or morals to spend our money wisely. Guys, you won't make one cent off of that terminal. Sure, you may add a dollar or two to an airline ticket, but it will take 50 years before it's paid off. Why don't you put the restaurant back, expand tie-downs and general-aviation hangars? Those are cash cows for you!
Voice of Reason wrote on Jul 20, 2006 6:46 PM:Can't wait to see all those airlines that need 6,000' of runway lining up to use a terminal with a 4,800' runway. What a waste of money.
Greg wrote on Jul 20, 2006 9:46 PM:The Feds and County have been pushing their own agenda with total disregard of what taxpayers and north county residents need. Our children get trailers for school rooms and rely on fund raisers and donations for even the most basic of education services. Yet bureaucrats & PAAC members can find $12 to $16M to build a new facility for a handful of people to fly their private and chartered jets, owned & operated by friends and business associates of PAAC members and local officials that appoint them. This airport of little value to the community and is nothing more than a taxpayer subsidized playground for recreational pilots and friends of PAAC members. And there's no one stopping them since the FAA has no reason to clip the wings of their feathered friends.
Ed wrote on Jul 21, 2006 10:58 AM:I see this as a good thing for the North County. I fly out of Palomar about twice a month on United Express. Even having to change planes in Los Angeles, it's still much more convienient then driving into San Diego, parking, waiting up to an hour to get through security, then wait another half hour to get on the plane. All told, time tied up about 2 1/2 hours. Now, flying out of Palomar, I can leave my house 50 minutes before my flight and be on my way. The new terminal has nothing to do with the private or chartered planes flying in and out of Palomar. Some of the renovation plans for other parts of the airport does support those planes however. Also, I seem to see a new resturant in the plans, as well as more tiedowns. Read the above article, and you will find 130 new tiedowns opening up on July 28. I'm a taxpayer and a resident of the county and I support this plan totally. As for how this is being funded, I suggest you do a search on the internet where more detailed information has been posted. Most, if not all, is NOT coming from taxes. Now as for money for schools, I agree that more is needed, but you can blame your fellow voters for voting down school bond issues.
Voice of Reason wrote on Jul 22, 2006 3:17 AM:Ed... You're spot on about the funding. People just don't get how airports are paid for - it is not taxpayer money! HERE OR AT LINDBERGH! I just question the need. The runway is simply to short to generate significant service levels which could leave them upside down on the paper issued to pay for it. That could relegate them to junk status in a heartbeat.
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