A CLOSER LOOK -- A crowded runway for El Toro’s future

Paul Clinton

JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT -- The coming weeks are expected to bring with them

a clearer definition of the future of Orange County’s airport landscape.

Several seminal events -- a hotly anticipated federal air travel

study, a county airport hearing and several court rulings -- are sure to

be felt at John Wayne Airport, officials said.

“I do think some really neat things are going to be happening in the

next few weeks,” Newport Beach City Councilman Dennis O’Neil said. “We’ll

know a lot.”

For Newport Beach, the developments will unfold against the backdrop

of the city’s continuing efforts to hash out a deal with Orange County

for an extension of the flight restrictions at John Wayne.

In mid-May, Newport Beach announced a proposal to extend the 1985

Settlement Agreement, which put the passenger and curfew restrictions in

place, past 2005.

Under the city’s plan, the airport’s dual flight cap would grow from

8.4 million to 9.8 million passengers a year and from 72 to 85 departures

a day. Currently, the airport handles about 7.9 million annual

passengers. Under the proposed deal, the mandatory nighttime curfew would

remain unchanged.

City officials are working feverishly to cement a deal prior to a

possible March vote on a South County measure that, if successful, would

turn the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station into a large park.

If no airport is built at El Toro, Newport Beach officials contend,

John Wayne could be forced to expand to handle expected jumps in demand

for flights.

“I think there’s always been pressure to get this [settlement

extension] done sooner rather than later,” Councilman Gary Proctor said.

“If El Toro is taken off the table, there’s only one place to cast your

eye to expand.”

Beginning of the end?

This Thursday is expected to bring the first of the series of

developments in the El Toro stalemate as the Federal Aviation

Administration moves closer to issuing a ruling about the takeoff and

departure patterns the county has proposed for an airport at the base.

The FAA has scheduled a briefing at its Los Angeles offices to discuss

the “El Toro Airspace Determination,” according to a county memo.

A validation of the county’s plans could help speed up the transfer

land from the Department of Defense to the county for the proposed

airport.

On Sept. 17, the county Board of Supervisors is expected to offer a

final approval of the environmental review of the airport. The airport

has consistently seen 3-2 approval votes at the board, with South County

members Tom Wilson and Todd Spitzer voting against the airport.

Less predictable is the timing of two court rulings. A state appellate

court judge in San Diego is preparing a ruling about whether to allow

South County’s central park initiative to go forward. Airport supporters

successfully challenged it at first, when Superior Court Judge James Gray

invalidated the measure after declaring the title and summary to be

“affirmatively misleading.”

South County leaders are also waiting for a ruling on their appeal of

Measure F, which passed in March 2000. That measure, ultimately deemed

unconstitutional, would have required a two-thirds countywide approval

for any airport, landfill or jail. It would also have required a public

vote on John Wayne expansion, said Leonard Kranser, who is leading the

central park initiative drive.

“Newport Beach shot itself in the foot by trying to overturn Measure F

because Measure F protected Newport Beach against the expansion of John

Wayne,” Kranser said.

Working toward a solution

Most officials in the city have accepted that some level of expansion

of John Wayne must occur, even if El Toro is built.

With that in mind, city leaders have begun meetings with cities

located in the John Wayne Corridor -- essentially those up the Costa Mesa

Freeway -- to rally support for their plan as a realistic solution.

Meetings have taken place in Orange, Tustin and Santa Ana. The

response has been positive so far, Proctor said.

Orange City Councilman Dan Slater, who has been outspoken about

airport issues, said the plan is workable.

“Unfortunately, there will need to be some increase [in the number of

flights],” Slater said. “Certainly, I will be promoting a minimal

increase.”

* Paul Clinton covers the environment and John Wayne Airport. He may

be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail ato7

[email protected] .