Watsonville Pilots Association Wins In Land Dispute With Airport A Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge has ruled in favor of the Watsonville Pilots Association (WPA), finding that the City of Watsonville, Calif., unlawfully approved development projects near Watsonville Municipal Airport without complying with state aeronautical law and prior court orders. In a 24-page statement of decision issued February 3, 2026, Judge Timothy Schmal granted the pilots association’s petitions for writ of mandate, declaratory relief, and injunctive relief, concluding that the city acted in violation of the State Aeronautics Act (SAA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The ruling centers on the city’s 2021 approval of a 21-unit residential project at 547 Airport Blvd., located within the airport’s designated safety zones.
