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The city of Livermore approved an agreement that gives KaiserAir until July 2022 to submit a formal application to develop air facilities that could accommodate Boeing 737s at the Livermore Municipal Airport.

According to city staff, the Oakland-based charter airliner initially submitted a letter of interest (LOI) and $1,000 deposit to propose a fixed-base operator (FBO) development at Livermore Airport in January 2020. The first LOI was set to expire after one year but in September 2020, KaiserAir received an extension that pushed the deadline to July 2021.

Last month — just before the extension deadline — the company submitted a new LOI along with the required $1,000 to reserve development rights on the same parcel, which was approved by interim airport manager Sean Moran and public works director Scott Lanphier, giving KaiserAir until next July to complete their application.

City staff said that KaiserAir did not provide a detailed explanation for requesting additional time but lingering pandemic impacts have played a role in slowing overall progress.

The proposed development is planned for a 45-acre vacant parcel north of West Jack London Boulevard and south of Taxiway Lima. In addition to the FBO facility, the project includes offices, aircraft maintenance facilities, fuel farm, self-service aircraft fueling facility, corporate hangars, parking spaces and box t-hangars.

The proposal received an initial stamp of approval from the Airport Commission back in February, and if the forthcoming application makes it past the Planning Commission, the City Council would ultimately make the decision to approve or deny the 45-year lease.

If approved, the project would house KaiserAir’s corporate offices and provide space for approximately six KaiserAir corporate aircraft — including one or more of the company’s Boeing 737 aircraft.

There has been some debate surrounding the proposed expansion as residents of Livermore, Pleasanton and Dublin who live near the airport have expressed concern about noise impacts, safety and the possibility of diminished property values.

During his first State of the City address in June, Livermore Mayor Bob Woerner briefly addressed the noise issue by highlighting that although no changes in operations have occurred at the airport, noise complaints have largely increased in the midst of conversations about possible expansion.

“Physically, nothing has changed but the perception — just because we’re talking about the airport — has increased complaints by a factor of 10,” he said.

The Pleasanton City Council is set to receive a status update regarding the Livermore Airport, including recent findings of the first phase of noise studies at its regular meeting Tuesday. More information and access links can be found here.

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Cierra is a Livermore native who started her journalism career as an intern and later staff reporter for the Pleasanton Weekly after graduating from CSU Monterey Bay with a bachelor's degree in journalism...

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22 Comments

  1. No to the expansion of the Livermore airport to accommodate 737 aircraft!
    Studies have found higher level of lead in children that in live in neighborhoods near the San Jose airport. Aircraft jets still use leaded gasoline, banned from automobiles years ago.
    I’m sure Livermore Mayor Bob Woerner doesn’t live in the Pleasanton Meadows Neighborhood, which is effected the most by the noise from takeoffs out of the Livermore airport. There might not be many more airplanes departing recently, but the private jets departing has significantly increased! There is a big difference between jet noise and prop airplanes. I’m sure the change in those numbers can be found in the records.
    As we all know, the world is trying to be more “GREEN”, expanding the Livermore Airport that impacts local neighborhoods with noise and air pollution is going in the opposite direction.

  2. We moved into Pleasanton Meadows in 1984 understanding a small airport existed in west Livermore. But no problem as we lived with the intermittent sound of prop planes. But then came the jet airplanes with much more volume and disruption to the peace in the neighborhood. – – Point being, let’s keep the additional jet traffic restricted from using the Livermore airport or we as neighbors and residents will suffer the extra noise impacts of jet engines.

  3. @Joe V,

    You’re thinking of avgas that is used in small piston engine airplanes and can contain lead. Boeing 737s use jet fuel. It contains no lead.

  4. This is big business getting a pass, the pandemic hasn’t impacted Kaiser’s ability to respond, the extension is buying Kaiser Air more time to influence people that make this decision but clearly the community doesn’t support this. Also, noise complaints are up because people are home more (due to pandemic), think everyone needs to understand that these are elected officials making these decisions and to hold those leaders accountable to what happens on their watch. This will be a major voting issue for Livermore/Pleasanton so make sure to let your elected officials know where you stand.

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