Time to Resolve El Toro Plan Conflict

We want to take this opportunity to express our concerns with regard to the reuse of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. We believe that given the impending Measure A litigation, the anti-Measure A initiative, uncertainty regarding the county’s consultant selection process, the potential delay on the release of [federal] and state funding, unfolding developments with the county’s bankruptcy resulting in [civil accusations] against two seated county supervisors, the diversion of regional planning and roadway funds to the reuse planning of [the base], concerns expressed by Sen. Barbara Boxer and Reps. Christopher Cox and Ron Packard, and the absence of a community consensus, the time has come for the Board of Supervisors to rethink their reuse planning process.

Unfortunately, no reuse planning has occurred since Jan. 31, 1995, when the county withdrew from the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority. However, earlier this year the remaining [authority] agencies (Irvine and Lake Forest) expanded the authority to include representatives from the impacted cities of Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, Dana Point and Laguna Niguel. [The authority] is dedicated to providing a broad-based and comprehensive planning process for evaluating feasible reuses for [the base], without predisposition to any particular use.

The county’s chief executive officer, Jan Mittermeier, recently stated that the county’s duty is to “expeditiously develop a reuse plan which will provide the greatest economic benefit to the Orange County community.” (Letters, Dec. 10) However, we question the legitimacy of this comment, given that Measure A has already amended the Land Use Element of the General Plan, restricting future use of [the base] to a commercial airport and related aviation uses. The county’s position that all feasible reuses will be evaluated is merely an attempt to convince the impacted communities that a non-aviation reuse plan would be realistically considered for implementation. The likelihood of the county’s El Toro Airport Citizens Advisory Commission recommending a non-aviation alternative for El Toro is slim to none, given that [the commission] is composed of aviation advocates and other selected and appointed officials from northern Orange County and Los Angeles County who will not be physically impacted by the redevelopment of [the base]. Measure A also states that the [commission] shall facilitate and promote joint commercial aviation and military use and plan for the development of an airport at El Toro.

Disagreements aside, we must move beyond this conflict and commence the business of effective reuse planning that involves the right people.

MICHAEL WARD

Mayor

City of Irvine

HELEN WILSON

Mayor pro tem

City of Lake Forest