Monterey airport board president assures Del Rey Oaks a road through town is not in the plans.

In February, Del Rey Oaks officials told residents their “No Road DRO” signs posted in front yards had to come down because they had been up longer than allowed under the city’s sign ordinance. The residents complied, but they remained unbowed in their opposition to a proposed road from the north side of Monterey Regional Airport through Del Rey Gardens Drive to Canyon Del Rey Boulevard.

On March 24, residents learned the signs can stay down. The president of the Monterey Peninsula Regional Airport District, Mary Ann Leffel, told DRO City Council the road is not being considered under a draft environmental assessment of phase 1 of a multi-year plan to move existing hangars from the south side of the airport to the north. A new terminal near the current one is also planned.

“There is nothing in anybody’s mind that they’re going to make a road to Del Rey Oaks. Period. End of the story,” Leffel said. Documents provided to the Federal Aviation Administration for review under the National Environmental Policy Act state that although a road through DRO is “desirable,” at this time it’s not feasible.

Leffel said the plan now is to use the existing Airport Road that goes through Monterey.

The airport currently generates around 750 trips a day through those neighborhoods. And while moving hangars would increase trips by just over 70, some changes, like a tow truck business moving off of airport property, could mean a reduction to less than 700 trips in total, as well as fewer big trucks rolling through.

The public comment period for the NEPA review is April 20. Leffel said even with the delay, phase 1 of the project could begin this fall.