Pub. Util. Code, § 21670.1

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, if the board of supervisors and the city selection committee of mayors in the county each makes a determination by a majority vote that proper land use planning can be accomplished through the actions of an appropriately designated body, then the body so designated shall assume the planning responsibilities of an airport land use commission as provided for in this article, and a commission need not be formed in that county.

(b) A body designated pursuant to subdivision (a) that does not include among its membership at least two members having expertise in aviation, as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 21670, shall, when acting in the capacity of an airport land use commission, be augmented so that body, as augmented, will have at least two members having that expertise. The commission shall be constituted pursuant to this section on and after March 1, 1988.

(c) (1) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), and subdivision (b) of Section 21670, if the board of supervisors of a county and each affected city in that county each makes a determination that proper land use planning pursuant to this article can be accomplished pursuant to this subdivision, then a commission need not be formed in that county.

(2) If the board of supervisors of a county and each affected city makes a determination that proper land use planning may be accomplished and a commission is not formed pursuant to paragraph (1), that county and the appropriate affected cities having jurisdiction over an airport, subject to the review and approval by the Division of Aeronautics of the department, shall do all of the following:

(A) Adopt processes for the preparation, adoption, and amendment of the airport land use compatibility plan for each airport that is served by a scheduled airline or operated for the benefit of the general public.

(B) Adopt processes for the notification of the general public, landowners, interested groups, and other public agencies regarding the preparation, adoption, and amendment of the airport land use compatibility plans.

(C) Adopt processes for the mediation of disputes arising from the preparation, adoption, and amendment of the airport land use compatibility plans.

(D) Adopt processes for the amendment of general and specific plans to be consistent with the airport land use compatibility plans.

(E) Designate the agency that shall be responsible for the preparation, adoption, and amendment of each airport land use compatibility plan.

(3) The Division of Aeronautics of the department shall review the processes adopted pursuant to paragraph (2), and shall approve the processes if the division determines that the processes are consistent with the procedure required by this article and will do all of the following:

(A) Result in the preparation, adoption, and implementation of plans within a reasonable amount of time.

(B) Rely on the height, use, noise, safety, and density criteria that are compatible with airport operations, as established by this article, and referred to as the Airport Land Use Planning Handbook, published by the division, and any applicable federal aviation regulations, including, but not limited to, Part 77 (commencing with Section 77.1) of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(C) Provide adequate opportunities for notice to, review of, and comment by the general public, landowners, interested groups, and other public agencies.

(4) If the county does not comply with the requirements of paragraph (2) within 120 days, then the airport land use compatibility plan and amendments shall not be considered adopted pursuant to this article and a commission shall be established within 90 days of the determination of noncompliance by the division and an airport land use compatibility plan shall be adopted pursuant to this article within 90 days of the establishment of the commission.

(d) A commission need not be formed in a county that has contracted for the preparation of airport land use compatibility plans with the Division of Aeronautics under the California Aid to Airports Program (Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 4050) of Division 2.5 of Title 21 of the California Code of Regulations) and that submits all of the following information to the Division of Aeronautics for review and comment that the county and the cities affected by the airports within the county, as defined by the airport land use compatibility plans:

(1) Agree to adopt and implement the airport land use compatibility plans that have been developed under contract.

(2) Incorporated the height, use, noise, safety, and density criteria that are compatible with airport operations as established by this article, and referred to as the Airport Land Use Planning Handbook, published by the division, and any applicable federal aviation regulations, including, but not limited to, Part 77 (commencing with Section 77.1) of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as part of the general and specific plans for the county and for each affected city.

(3) If the county does not comply with this subdivision on or before May 1, 1995, then a commission shall be established in accordance with this article.

(e) (1) A commission need not be formed in a county if all of the following conditions are met:

(A) The county has only one public use airport that is owned by a city.

(B) (i) The county and the affected city adopt the elements in paragraph (2) of subdivision (d), as part of their general and specific plans for the county and the affected city.

(ii) The general and specific plans shall be submitted, upon adoption, to the Division of Aeronautics. If the county and the affected city do not submit the elements specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (d), on or before May 1, 1996, then a commission shall be established in accordance with this article.