Plans for Former Naval Air site at Crows Landing Draws Queries

Jan. 13 -- PATTERSON, California -- West Side residents peppered Stanislaus County officials about all aspects of the proposed development at the Crows Landing Air Facility on Friday -- from air and water quality issues to potential housing development and tax subsidies.

The town hall-style meeting drew about 70 people, who wrote questions on index cards for the panel of public officials.

A Crows Landing Steering Committee appointed by the county is considering proposals from two developers for a master plan for the 1,528-acre former naval air facility.

The county wants to develop the airfield into a business park to generate jobs and a bigger tax base.

County Deputy Executive Officer Keith Boggs gave the audience a brief history of the project and a quick description of each of the proposals.

The housing question came up quickly.

County Supervisor Jim DeMartini said the Board of Supervisors has made clear that it does not want housing as part of the air facility development.

"We are not going to accept residential housing as part of this plan," DeMartini said. "We are looking only for a business park. If there is any housing, I will not support it. I'm fairly sure the board (of supervisors) won't accept residential."

Boggs said that neither developer specifically talked about housing during a presentation made a month ago.

When asked about housing, Hillwood Development Co., headed by Ross Perot Jr., said housing was not a part of its proposal, but PCCP West Park, headed by Sacramento developer Gerry Kamilos, did not rule it out, Boggs said.

Hillwood Development said it wanted a 5 percent public money investment in the project, which also drew questions and criticism.

DeMartini said the public portion would have to come from federal and state money because the county does not have any money to invest in the project other than the $300,000 a year it gets from leasing farmland around the runways.

The county hopes to lure the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection into moving firefighting aircraft to the facility, which would qualify it for Federal Aviation Administration money for airport improvements, DeMartini said. An air terminal is part of the Hillwood proposal.

"The county is equally concerned," Boggs added. "Five percent of a whole lot of money is a whole lot of money."

Hillwood will be asked about that topic at a meeting Wednesday, Boggs said.

The PCCP West Park development is keyed to a short-haul rail proposal linking the Port of Oakland to the Central Valley.

One questioner called the rail proposal "devastating" to Patterson and asked what the options were.

DeMartini expressed skepticism about the rail proposal because of its cost, $90 million to $100 million for the Stanislaus County portion, and because the major railroads haven't yet been brought into the discussion.

Boggs said that the rail potential was great, but there were many questions that needed to be answered.

Another questioner asked how the county's air and water quality problems could be improved by bringing the project into the area.

County Planning Director Ron Freitas replied that all projects bring their own water and air problems that have to be minimized in order for the development to go forward.

Boggs said that if the project generates the jobs the county wants, fewer county residents will be commuting across the Altamont Pass to jobs in the Bay Area, improving air quality.

The community of Crows Landing has water and sewer problems that may be improved as part of the air facility development, Boggs said.

The Crows Landing Steering Committee will hear presentations from the two developers in the meeting Wednesday in Modesto and is expected to make a decision at that meeting.

The options include rejecting both proposals and leaving the air base as it is, DeMartini said.

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