Environmental group backs Measure LC-compliant plan for 192-acre public park following the airport’s scheduled 2028 closure
The Sierra Club has joined the Santa Monica Great Park Coalition to push for the conversion of Santa Monica Airport into a major public park after its scheduled closure.
The coalition announced the environmental organization’s decision, saying the alliance now includes more than 85 groups and 1,100 individual supporters advocating for the 192-acre site to become a Great Park consistent with Measure LC. Voters approved the 2014 ballot measure, which requires the land be used only for parks, recreation and related purposes once the airport closes on Dec. 31, 2028.
“Since our founding just two years ago, the Great Park Coalition has brought together a broad and growing alliance of environmental, arts, education, sports, recreation, and neighborhood organizations committed to transforming the airport land into a Great Park,” said John Fairweather, president of the Great Park Coalition.
He called the Sierra Club’s involvement “deeply meaningful and tremendously energizing because of the environmental leadership and values the organization has represented for generations.”
David Haake, chair of the West Los Angeles Group of the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club, said the club joined only after extensive study. While the organization strongly supports urban infill housing, affordability and equitable access to housing, it determined the park aligns with community needs.
“Santa Monica has a low rate of parks per population, and only three percent of its land is dedicated to parks,” Haake said. “We believe that the Great Park can and will complement the City’s robust housing commitments in nearby transit-accessible locations, and we are happy to join the Coalition.”
The coalition describes the proposed park as a vibrant, accessible and environmentally sustainable space that reflects community priorities and will serve Santa Monica and the region for generations.
Santa Monica Airport is set to cease operations at the end of 2028.
