The Delfinos who own the airport do not object specifically to the airport, but understandably wish to cash in on their investment that they've held since 1949. Regardless of the supervisors' objections, the majority of residents in the area seemingly do not want to see the airport die. Whether or not that means anything remains to be seen. However, there seem to be other factors the supervisors are obviously dismissing or simply ignoring. As far as the public is concerned, the best reasons to keep the airport viable are the open space it provides with the trail for pedestrians, and then the emergency role it plays.
People forget about the emergency role because emergencies are far and few between.
Almost on cue last year, a wildfire at nearby Big Sur demonstrated the strategic importance of the Carmel Valley Vintage Airpark. The California Department of Forestry used the airport as a staging area to refuel firefighting helicopters at the field. In addition, the Monterey County Office of Emergency Services considers it a useful landing zone for small fixed wing planes and all sized rotary wing aircraft for many disaster scenarios. Hope For The Future Today, de Jounge and his group are fighting against time. Ideally, they are looking for a buyer or a small group of buyers to purchase the airport with the idea of preserving it for public use.