Moffett Field Timeline
1988 - 1994
1995 - 1996
1988
September
- Gov. Deukmejian vetoes a bill to provide $5 million for a Mountain View
space camp. Mountain View Mayor Maryce Freelen says the city can still build
the $30 million center with NASA and private developers. [37,
38]
December
- EPA unveils a $50 million, 30 year plan to clean contaminated groundwater
and soil in Mountain View near Moffett Field. [39]
1990
February
- DOD considers closing Moffett Naval Air Station. Citizens call for redevelopment
instead of an airport. The prime obstacle to redevelopment is that Mountain
View and Sunnyvale don't have a master development plan. [40,
41, 42,
43]
April
- Senators William Roth, R-Del., Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., and Richard
Lugar, R-Ind, introduce a bill to give closed military bases to the neighboring
cities. The bill did not pass. [45]
1991
February
- Mountain View and Sunnyvale politicians and business leaders lobby to
keep Moffett Naval Air Station open. [46,
47]
April
- Moffett Naval Air Station listed on base closure list. [49]
- NASA/Ames estimates it would cost only $10 million a year to run the
airfield, "a small fraction of the Ames Research Center's budget"
[50]
- Mountain View and Sunnyvale endorse the recommendation of the Moffett
Field Committee, for NASA to assume operation of Moffett Airfield [51,
52]
May
- NASA/Ames Research revises estimate to run Moffett Field to $25 -30
million. The previous estimate of $9-10 million covered only dawn-to-dusk,
Monday-to-Friday operation for NASA's use only. [55,
56]
June
- Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission votes to close Moffett
Naval Air Station and recommends that the Pentagon discuss an arrangement
for NASA/Ames to operate the air field. [57]
July
- EPA says toxic contamination at Fort Ord and Moffett Field need not
prevent private developers and industries from moving onto the bases when
the military leaves. [58]
- At a public hearing by a joint Sunnyvale-Mountain View task force, local
residents propose many development options for Moffett Field after the Navy
leaves. The NASA plan was endorsed by the task force, as well as by "
the city councils of Mountain View and Sunnyvale, both of California's U.S.
senators, all of the area's congressional representatives and major defense
contractors, especially Lockheed Missiles & Space Co." [59,
60]
September
- San Jose Mercury News reveals that NASA/Ames and Sunnyvale prepared
a secret Moffett redevelopment plan with a high-tech conference center and
hotel, and an Air and Space Museum expected to bring profits of $5 million
per year. The plan, detailed in a November 1990 memo from NASA/Ames to Sunnyvale
City Manager Thomas Lewcock, came as a surprise to Mountain View officials.
[61]
- A San Jose study considers four potential sites for a new airport, two
in Coyote Valley and two southeast of Gilroy. San Jose Councilwoman Blanca
Alvarado suggests instead moving general aviation to Moffett Field. [62]
October
- Pentagon estimates that the Moffett Field toxic cleanup, started in
1983, will take until 2005 . [63]
November
- Navy seeks Superfund cleanup of some areas of Moffett to speed up process.
[64]
1992
May
- Mountain View and Sunnyvale residents are polled by cities on new uses
for Moffett Field [22]
July
- Sunnyvale and Mountain View put general aviation on the ballot, to head
off maneuvers by San Jose and general aviation advocates [23]
November
- Voters reject general aviation
December
- San Jose suspends its attempt to gain control of Moffett Field for general
aviation and air cargo [25]
- NASA wins control of Moffett after the Navy leaves [26]
1993
June
- San Jose invites Sunnyvale and Mountain View to general aviation and
air cargo at Moffett. Both cities refuse. [27]
1994
April
- NASA and Navy officials are criticised for excluding public participation
from Moffett transition plans [29]
July
- NASA takes control of Moffett
August
- NASA says it may have to adjust Moffett flight operations because of
noise complaints [30]
