--- In BATN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "2/9 SJ Business Journal" <batn@...> wrote: Published Friday, February 9, 2007, by San Jose Business Journal Changes eyed to airport plan By Timothy Roberts Business leaders and San Jose city officials hope to propose alternatives soon to an airport safety plan that they say could harm downtown development. The Planning Department has proposed greatly limiting development of tall buildings in the flight path of Mineta San Jose International Airport. The restrictions would accommodate concerns from the airlines, which say they need to have extra space so planes would have room to maneuver when encountering engine problems during take-off. Most engine failures occur during take-offs when engines are under their most severe stress. The most affected flights are those using large planes on long flights that are weighed down by passengers and fuel. The City Council will meet in a special session on April 5 to consider alternatives to a Planning Department proposal to restrict the height of new high-rise buildings in the flight path of Mineta San Jose International Airport. "We are looking at all the options for developing downtown to the fullest extent possible and having an airport that can meet our needs for recreation and business travel," says Pat Dando, the president and CEO of the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce. Dando, Downtown Association Executive Director Scott Knies and Bill Sherry, the city's aviation director, began meeting in January and planned to continue their meetings Feb. 8. The city's airport commission also will consider the issue at its Feb. 15 retreat. Downtown development became an issue for aviation as real estate values made high rises feasible. Southwest and American Airlines objected two years ago to a proposed residential tower on Almaden Boulevard, even though the Federal Aviation Administration had approved the plans. The city overruled the airlines' objections. Developers, who had always gone through an FAA approval process, were caught by surprise by the airlines' objections, says San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed. As a councilman, Reed asked for a study of the issue "so people would not get caught up by the process after starting work on a building." That study led to the proposal to limit building heights by the planning staff. Dando, Knies and Sherry will look at how other airports have dealt with the tall-building issue. Knies cites San Diego and Burbank; Dando adds Phoenix and Las Vegas. The issue concerns only flights that take off to the south, which only occurs about 15 percent of the time. Winds generally favor a north-bound take-off. "We are looking for a way to have a great downtown and a great airport," says Knies. "We don't want to reverse 30 years of strategic planning for downtown." Timothy Roberts covers public policy, corporate governance and Internet security for the Business Journal. Reach him at (408) 299-1821. [BATN: See also: Airlines call for downtown SJ building height limits http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BATN/message/33503 Airlines object to 309-foot downtown SJ condo tower http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BATN/message/30051 SJ eyes conflict between air traffic, downtown height limits http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BATN/message/29201 Airlines say downtown SJ buildings pose aviation hazard http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BATN/message/27592 SJ trims $3b from grandiose $4.5b airport expansion plan http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BATN/message/27429 San Jose's grandiose air terminal expansion plan shelved http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BATN/message/27377 Airlines win cutbacks in SJ airport expansion grandiosity http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BATN/message/25265 Airlines balk at cost of grandiose SJ airport expansion http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BATN/message/23056 ] --- End forwarded message ---