The Pneumatically Stabilized Platform was originally designed as a means for constructing a new airport for San Diego in the Pacific Ocean, 3 miles off the tip of Point Loma. Known as "FloatPort," this platform would not only put the airport in no one's "back yard", it would make San Diego the only deep water shipping port on the west coast and provide the world with its first land, air and sea inter modal transport center. Connected by a tunnel to the western terminus of Interstate 8, one of the city's main collector freeways, FloatPort would be as convenient as San Diego's Lindbergh Field is now.
By almost every standard by which airports are evaluated, FloatPort would be an improvement over most of our nation's airports.
State legislation was passed creating a new San Diego Regional Airport Authority. The Port District's charter gave it control over tidelands which included Lindbergh Field. If a new site were selected, it could be outside the Port District's jurisdiction. The new Airport Authority was given jurisdiction regardless of where in the county the new site is located. It took over operation of Lindbergh Field and the responsibility for the site selection process. The JAAC was disbanded. However, one of the powers originally sought for the Airport Authority was eminent domain. This was not granted. That is forcing it to take into consideration the challenges it will face from those affected by whatever site it selects.
In October, 2002, Landrum & Brown published its initial screening. The 32 sites being considered were narrowed down to 18. Two more sites were subsequently dropped, and the remaining 16 were analyzed. The Tier 1 Analysis of San Diego's options for the siting of a new International Airport was finally released in July 2003. It displays all of the options in a matrix on page 13, and clearly shows that FloatPort is the most logical option.
The results contained four major errors for the offshore site. Float notified the Airport Authority of these mistakes as soon as it discovered them. The Director of Airport System Planning informed Float the authority never received some additional information on Float's proposal requested on October 22, 2002. That information had been hand delivered to SANDAG on November 12, 2002. It was apparently misplaced during the transfer of the ATAP program to the new Airport Authority. After reviewing the package, the Director sent a four page response containing fifteen points alleging reasons FloatPort would not be viable. Float's response in detail to these fifteen points made it clear the case against the offshore airport had little substance. In fact, the excellent features FloatPort has to offer will become more apparent with further study. Click here to download a pdf file of the letter and Float's response (10 pages).
The public working group, in meetings on August 26 and September 8, 2003, narrowed the list down to where the only sites remaining in San Diego County were military bases and FloatPort. Representatives of the military were clearly dissatisfied with the lack of consideration given to the military's point of view. Six local Congressmen and Senator Barbara Boxer wrote the Authority asking it to remove the military sites from the final list scheduled to come out of their October 2, 2003 meeting, saying it was being irresponsible and undermining the validity of its effort. The agenda also included in Item 12 a "Selective Elimination Criteria" which would remove FloatPort. Click here to download a pdf file of Agenda Item 12 - 6:Selective Elimination Criteria and Float's letter to the Authority Board prior to the October 2 meeting. Nevertheless, the final list included four military sites, one remote, one remote desert site, and another look at Lindbergh Field, despite the recommendations of the Phase I ATAP Economic Analysis.
After months of continued studies of these sites and the expenditure of millions of dollars, the Airport Authority voted 7-2 in May, 2006 for joint use of Miramar Marine Corps Air Station. The proposed text will be put forth as a proposition on the November 7 ballot for approval by the voters.