This morning there is an article in the SF Chronicle about the proposed SFO runway expansion.  It starts on the front page, but the interesting bit is the set of maps on page A9.  The Mercury News has similar maps on the back of Section A.I hate sounding like an alarmist, but I am alarmed.


                THIS PROPOSAL WILL KILL COYOTE POINT.

          Oyster Point/Flying Tigers could also be ruined.


First, Coyote Point:

The maps in the paper don't show Coyote Point, but you can get the right perspective by pointing your web browser to 


                     <<http://badger.parl.com>


Either point and click on the maps or select the San Mateo quadrangle from the pull-down and then click on the Northwest quarter-quadrangle.  This should show a satellite photo including the runways and Coyote Point Park near the right edge.  The dark stuff is the forest on the hill and the shoreline to the left is our launch spot.  ASD is in the corner at the left end of the beach.  If you get geeky and use a ruler and a calculator, you can scale the maps in the paper  and eyeball where the new runways will be in the photo on your screen. The two proposals have the same location for the SE end of the new runway.


When I did the scaling of the runway expansion and added the birdcage of lights from the existing runways (from the photo), it looked grim!  The birdcage would extend off the photo.  I think it will take a very northerly day to get past the birdcage and get back in again.   One could still sail out about one and a half miles before hitting the runway.  I think that's about where the first buoy is today.  About where the swell gets less confused and the wind gets steadier.  That's why I think it will kill Coyote Point as a windsurf spot.


Next, Oyster/Tigers:

In regards to the one-intersection proposal, Ed Scott wrote earlier:   "Plan F2 extends one new runway from the northeastern edge of SFO's field (near the fuel tanks/United hanger) out approximately 2.2 miles in a northeast direction.  The new runway will enclose the existing Flying Tigers cove where the best windsurfing is, and cuts across the area where the best reaches are, just outside the cove."  I think that sums it up.


Bottom Line:

We need to make major efforts if we want to keep Coyote Point sailable.  It seems worthwhile, since there aren't enough spots around with 100-space parking lots to handle the weekend crowds of sailors.  This winter seems to be shaping up as a lot of work just to keep sailing at my usual spot.  I hope many of my fellow sailors will join me in working to defeat this proposal.  I don't like politics, but that's how this will be decided.  Randy Anderson of the SFBA has been in these situations before, but lot's of people will need to help.

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______________________________________________________________________________


Dan Farmer					danf@juniper.net-DeleteThis

</paraindent>Mechanical Design Engineer				voice: 650-526-8007

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