Oceano is a community divided—literally—by a land-heavy, low-utility, extremely costly fixed-wing airport: Oceano Airport L52. So, is closure the best option? We think not. We propose modernization over maintenance. It’s an option that will take us past the same tired story of Oceano being abused by wealthier interests with a blind eye to the environment and environmental/economic justice.
Oceano Airport is geographically redundant. Within approximately 15 miles, we have two full-service regional airports in San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria. Just beyond are airports in Paso Robles, Lompoc, Santa Ynez, and New Cuyama. Maintaining a seventh fixed-wing runway in a coastal zone is no longer a strategic necessity; it is a luxury the disadvantaged community of Oceano should not be forced to subsidize with its coastal land.
The proposal is simple: The county must right-size the facility. By transitioning L52 into a dedicated helipad/vertiport, they preserve the modern and critical aeronautical functions and keep the “national system” intact while liberating at least 60 acres of prime coastal land for uses such as wetlands, solar, recreation, visitor services, housing, or, most important, a direct and safe route to the beach from downtown Oceano.
The Coastal Act requires maximizing public access and protecting sensitive habitats. This underutilized, costly fixed-wing runway mainly serves a small number of hobbyists.
This is not asking to “close” Oceano’s airport; this is asking to evolve it.
We urge the SLO County Board of Supervisors to help ensure that Oceano’s future is defined by public access and environmental justice, choosing modernization over maintenance.
Bonnie Ernst, Lucia Casalinuovo, and Allene Villa
Oceano Beach Community Association
This article appears in Pride 2026.
Creative thinking that is sure to be rejected by the fixed wing few who want their “private” recreational airport. Doesn’t a “vertiport” still leave it open to become an Amazon drone delivery hub?
This made me laugh out loud reading 2-Buck Chuck’s supporting comment to a letter he clearly wrote for the others. Just can’t make this stuff up. So, playing this out, reducing the use to rotary aircraft only, will be a baby step towards this group coming back and telling us they don’t like helicopters either. The airport is not the same as Santa Maria or SLO, and serves a purpose to the aviation and Oceano community. Stop the madness.
Shut up.
Hi … Here we go again, same song and dance by the same old tired group, If you dig deep enough, I believe you would find they are supporters of growth, not environmentalist. They see tourist gold in the dunes, cause all they mention are trails and camping. There is a lot of money in private vacation resorts. Checking the record, and look for a Cal Poly study on developing the area. The Oceano Airport sits in the middle of a wetland, in the zone under the “protection” of the Coastal Commission. The only reason the airport is not routinely flooded is thousands of acre feet of beach sand dumped at the site when it was built. The folks then realized what we all should be able to see for ourselves: you don’t build on the flood plain.
New Cuyama is a “local” airport? Or, Paso Robles, which is also an hour drive distant? Lompoc? Los Olivos?
Plus, both SLO and Santa Maria are also used by commercial jet liners, which can be a difficult mix with much slower planes in crowded conditions. A jet approaching at 160 mph will easily overtake a Cessna approaching at 65 mph.