RESOLUTION NO. _____________

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, COUNTY OF SAN MATEO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA

* * * * * *

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING (1) NAMING THE TERMINAL AT THE HALF MOON BAY AIRPORT IN HONOR OF MR. FRANK L. SYLVESTRI, 2) RENAMING THE ACCESS ROAD TO THE AIRPORT FRANK L. SYLVESTRI WAY, AND 3) DIRECTING STAFF TO DEVELOP AND INSTALL A DISPLAY IN THE TERMINAL THAT COMEMMORATES MR. SYLVESTRI’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO AVIATION IN SAN MATEO COUNTY

______________________________________________________________

RESOLVED, by the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Mateo, State of California, that

WHEREAS, Chapter 2.52 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code permits the Board of Supervisors to name facilities in honor of individuals in exceptional circumstances, taking into account the time period over which any contribution is made, the number of people affected by the contribution, and the extent to which the County’s population has been affected to the better by the actions of the individual proposed for recognition; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Frank L. Sylvestri has been a leader of the San Mateo County aviation community for almost 60 years, starting in 1959 when he opened West Coast Aviation, an aircraft maintenance and repair business; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Frank L. Sylvestri opened a flight school in 1955 at the Half Moon Bay Airport where he supervised the training of over 4,000 pilot candidates many of whom went on to careers in the military and the domestic airline industry; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Frank L. Sylvestri certified over 2,000 candidates for pilots licenses as an FAA designated Flight Examiner; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Frank L. Sylvestri was one of the founding members of the County Sheriff’s Air Squadron flying search and rescue missions for over 20 years; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Frank L. Sylvestri has worked with the community surrounding the Half Moon Bay Airport to resolve concerns about noise and other issues; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Frank L. Sylvestri brought recognition to the San Mateo County aviation community when he served as the stunt pilot for the movie “The Spirit of St. Louis” and he won the Grand National Antique Aircraft Award for his restoration of a WACO UPF-7; and

WHEREAS, as more than 40 members of the coastal aviation community attest, Mr. Frank L. Sylvestri has devoted his life to making aviation on the coast a vital part of County life; and

WHEREAS, this Board finds that as Mr. Sylvestri’s contributions have spanned a long time period and have affected many people, and that the County’s population has been affected to the better by his actions; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Sylvestri’s contributions to aviation in the County of San Mateo amount to exceptional and extraordinary circumstances, and justify the renaming of the terminal at the Half Moon Bay Airport as the Frank L. Sylvestri Terminal, and renaming the access road to the airport as Frank L. Sylvestri Way.

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY DETERMINED AND ORDERED that the Board of Supervisors renames the terminal at the Half Moon Bay Airport the Frank L. Sylvestri Terminal, and renames the access road to the airport Frank L. Sylvestri Way, and directs staff to develop and install a display in the terminal commemorating Mr. Sylvestri’s many accomplishments and contributions to aviation in San Mateo County.

* * * * * *