Airport Debate

South County also needs to endure an airport

The lives and serenity of us residents living in Newport Beach, Costa

Mesa, Tustin, Santa Ana, Orange, Villa Park and Anaheim Hills are being

seriously threatened by the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority.

That group thinks the existing airport agreement that expires in 2005

should be overturned in order to “provide better utilization of John

Wayne Airport” by expanding “John Wayne from its current cap of 8.4

million passengers a year to 14 million . . . and that’s a fair

position,” says Mission Viejo Councilwoman Susan Withrow, ETRPA’s past

chairwoman.

The group claims this is necessary because Newport Beach is pushing

for a new airport at El Toro.

Make no mistake. They are pushing to expand it by 300% and include a

new 8,000-foot runway, to extend the existing 5,700-foot runway to

6,800-feet, a massive terminal expansion, condemnation of 700 acres of

surrounding businesses and soundproofing almost 2,000 homes. It would

cost about $4.3 billion for the expansion.

Did you know that nearly 50% of all passengers using John Wayne live

and work in South County, which represents about one-fourth of the

county’s population, and 12% of JWA’s passengers come from Irvine? John

Wayne is one of the smallest commercial airports in the United States on

just 500 acres of land. El Toro rests on nearly 5,000 acres with four

massive runways. And, the El Toro Airport plan sets aside 62% of the base

for recreational uses. There is not one spare inch around John Wayne for

recreational use and it is virtually abutted and surrounded by single

family residences, duplexes and businesses.

I remember 30 years ago when the public officials said “Orange County

Airport will never be a major airport.” Now, 30 years later, we are

accommodating all of Orange County at a relatively-new built out airport

that impacts all of our lives from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, from the “jet

fuel fallout that covers our houses, patios and yards,” and the noise

that violates our quiet and peace every day of the year.

Get your heads out of the sand Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Tustin,

Santa Ana, Orange, Villa Park and Anaheim Hills and join the effort to

make South County pay “its fair share” of airport convenience and travel.

Call The Airport Working Group of Orange County and see how you can

get involved and help in this “fight of our life to determine what’s

really fair!”

DAYNA PETTIT

Newport Beach

Another airport is absolutely necessary

We must have a second airport to cover present and future needs for

runways to accommodate passenger and cargo flights in and out of Orange

County.

The majority of the county supervisors recognizes this fact because

those supervisors represent all the county, not only the

Johnny-come-latelies in South County. They can see that good air and

transportation is vital to the entire county, just as are roads,

utilities, businesses, schools, health care and other services.

El Toro is nearly 10 times the size of John Wayne Airport and is the

best and safest place in the county to fill this need. All residents of

the county deserve to be provided truthful information at whatever cost

to assure that the present opportunity for an airport at El Toro is not

wasted.

ELEANOR TUCKER

Newport Beach