A seaplane business in Sausalito, California, in operation since 1945, has been growing since new owners took over in 2012, and that’s starting to cause some problems with the neighbors, who have requested a hearing with the County Planning Commission, set for next Monday, Aug. 28. “What began decades ago as a small tourism business with one four-seater airplane now has turned into a huge business with three planes, including larger eight-seater planes which make a horrendous noise,” Kathryn Esquivel wrote in a comment on a story about the Seaplane Adventures business at the Seaplane Magazine website. Richardson Bay is very small and is already packed with houseboats, paddle boarders, kayaks and wildlife, Esquivel said. Seaplane Magazine has taken up the cause on the operator’s side, and has asked readers to send letters of support for the business to local officials.
“Experience shows that such hearings are often rude and unfair,” the magazine said. A Facebook post from Aaron Singer, owner of Seaplane Adventures, also asks supporters to come to the hearing and send letters and emails. Singer says the business “has been a dream come true for me and … the lifeblood of my family.” The county officials could impose a daily limit on the number of flights, or even ban seaplane operations from the bay entirely, according to Seaplane Magazine.
