Laguna Beach Joins Coalition of Cities Suing Over Airport

LAGUNA BEACH —  Urged on by a room full of adamant residents, city leaders voted Tuesday night to set aside $100,000 to become a voting member of a coalition of South County cities that is fighting a proposed commercial airport at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.

With its unanimous vote, the City Council also agreed to contribute $20,000 to help fund a lawsuit that is expected to be filed this week and to become a plaintiff in that challenge.

“Jump in with both feet, and bring the city’s checkbook with you,” said resident Jim Law, echoing the sentiments of many in the packed council chambers.

The coalition of six South County cities dubbed the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority voted Dec. 16 to file the lawsuit, which is expected to challenge the validity of the environmental impact report on the proposed airport. The week before, the Orange County Board of Supervisors had voted to move forward with plans to develop an airport when the military retires the base in mid-1999.

Laguna Beach officials have long opposed having an international airport at the 4,700-acre base, arguing that it will have a negative impact on the city.

The cities already involved in the coalition are Irvine, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills and Dana Point. Irvine City Councilman Mike Ward said Tuesday that the group would welcome Laguna Beach’s participation in the lawsuit “with open arms.”

With residents insisting the council do “absolutely everything possible” to block the airport, as one speaker said, Laguna Beach Councilman Steve Dicterow said the city now is entering the “war” against the airport.

“Tonight, we are throwing down the gauntlet and will become full participants in that war,” he said.

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The involvement of Laguna Beach means that only two South County cities, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, are not participating in the lawsuit.

San Clemente City Manager Mike Parness said Tuesday the council there has not taken a stand on the airport and does not anticipate joining in the lawsuit.

“Given our financial condition, we are unable to participate financially in the lawsuit,” Parness said. Eventually, however, San Clemente may lend its “moral support” to the fight, he said.

The San Juan Capistrano City Council has not officially considered participating in the lawsuit.

South County residents have worried that a commercial airport that would serve up to 25 million passengers annually would create noise and air pollution and slash property values. Twice, however, voters countywide have endorsed the possibility of an El Toro airport.

Laguna Beach City Councilman Wayne J. Baglin said that blocking the airport ultimately will require a political, rather than legal, solution.

“I believe that the litigation is something that has to take place procedurally, but I do not believe it will stop the airport,” he said. Rather, he said, South County residents must find a way to effectively communicate their concerns about the airport to their neighbors to the north so that additional political pressure can be put on the Board of Supervisors.

“This is not a fight between two sides of the county,” Baglin said.

Once North County residents understand the problems the airport would pose for all residents, he said, “I’m confident there will be no commercial airport.”

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Supervisors already have made some concessions to South County residents, reducing the maximum number of passengers served each year from 38.3 million to 25 million and agreeing to study a ban on night flights. If an airport does not prove to be viable, supervisors have said, they would study other options for the base.

The controversial environmental impact report endorsed by the supervisors contends the airport could be an economic boon to the economy of almost $10 billion annually. But detractors say the report doesn’t show the economic benefits that could be derived by from other uses of the base, such as tourists attractions, businesses or homes.

Also contributing to this report were Times correspondent Kimberly Brower and staff writer Rene Lynch.