By Cynthia Murray
Monday, October 17, 2005
SOME RESIDENTS are wondering if it is right to go forward with the wetlands restoration at Hamilton when it means the loss of a runway that might be needed in a disaster.
As director of the county's Emergency Services, I want to assure the public that the wetlands restoration is a project that is important for our environmental protection and that the loss of the runway will not put the county's ability to respond at risk.
When the military base was closed and the flights ended, the Novato community and the county went through several processes to figure out what the new use of the base should be. After two decades, six ballot measures and a couple of lawsuits, the city of Novato and the county of Marin came together to do joint planning of how the base could be transferred back into private hands and onto the tax roll, provide benefits to the community and enhance the environment.
The process was very inclusionary. Twenty-seven different interest groups were represented on the Hamilton Advisory Committee, which advised the Hamilton Reuse Multi-Agency Board, consisting of two Councilmembers and a Novato resident at large and two supervisors and a county member at large. Together with the Technical Advisory Committee, the Hamilton Advisory Committee and the Hamilton Reuse Multi-Agency Board held numerous meetings and hearings, eventually creating and adopting the Hamilton Reuse Plan, which won an award from HUD.
The reason this process was able to build consensus and end the divisiveness over Hamilton was that it was a balanced plan: affordable and market rate housing, protection of the wetlands and open space, recreation, and limited commercial development. One of the fundamentals of the new plan was the elimination of any future use of the runway. The Novato community did not want commercial jets' noise and air pollution. They wanted to live in a quiet small town without the hubbub of a busy airport. The runway at Hamilton's fate was decided a decade ago with the construction of the new homes at Hamilton. The Hamilton community precludes any use of the runway due to the proximity of the homes to the runway and the flight path.
Common ground also was found on restoring the wetlands. It was recognized that the vast majority of bay wetlands had been lost and that this loss was contributing to the decline of the health of the bay. The opportunity to restore 750 acres of wetlands at Hamilton was one of the top goals of the reuse plan. The restoration balanced the development and made the project more acceptable to many people.
In the event of a disaster, we have an airport that will serve our needs. It is the municipal airport at Gnoss Field in Novato. This airport does not have as long a runway as Hamilton, but there is a proposal to extend the runway by 1,100 feet. It is able to accommodate small jets at this time and bigger ones if the extension is approved. If we need more resources, supplies can be delivered to Santa Rosa Airport, or brought to Marin by truck, boat or airlift.
We should not let our fear of disasters prevent us from doing what is right and good for our county. Marin will benefit for generations from the wetlands restoration at Hamilton that will improve the health of the bay, provide greater flood control protection, help endangered species and increase eco-tourism.
The Hamilton wetlands are now owned by the State Coastal Conservancy and are part of the largest wetlands restoration in Marin, equaling 2,600 acres with the inclusion of the state and Bel Marin Keys parcels.
We must keep our priorities clear. Disaster preparedness does not require us to sacrifice the clean water and habitat protections afforded us by having more wetlands. The county's Office of Emergency Services has planned its response using available resources, and is not dependent on the former runway, the use of which was lost many years ago. With the restoration of the wetlands, we will have a better environment and still be prepared to respond to whatever disaster may occur.
For information, call my office at 499-7339.
Cynthia Murray is a Marin County Supervisor and a former mayor of Novato.