El Toro Airport Booster Ignores Human Factor

* (Former Irvine City Councilman Art Bloomer, a retired Marine Corps general) apparently has the same mind-set that prevails with those who do not live in close proximity to the El Toro base (Commentary article “Commercial Airport Would Minimize Costs, Maximize Benefits,” July 25). They have done the so-called research and have come up with dazzling figures showing how we are all going to get rich by converting this base to a commercial airport.

Bloomer has apparently figured out everything except the most important ingredient: people. He does not mention the 22,000 retired people living in Leisure World, which abuts the base, or the hundreds of thousands living in the immediate area.

If this happens, it will result in a loss of many millions of dollars, since we would not be able to live here or to sell our properties.

The commanders at El Toro have been most cooperative in arranging their training schedules so that the noise is kept to a bearable level.

I think it is time that these experts from out of the immediate area understand that we will not take this lying down. We will be the losers if this devastation comes to pass. We vow to fight them every step of the way!

AARON SPEVAK

Laguna Niguel

*

* Gen. Art Bloomer’s commentary on the El Toro Base conversion read quite well until one gets to the following: “This monorail, connecting to John Wayne Airport, will make it possible for most passengers from central and north Orange County to get to the airport without using an automobile.”

Perhaps he can inform us where in the world that a monorail serves pickup of air passengers from door to door. All of which is the problem with “fixed-rail” systems; it would serve very few passengers, and the existing requirement of getting to and from such a beast is inbred.

If mass transit is a must, then the successful demonstration of “rubber-tired transit” for Curitiba, Brazil, is a prime example of transit solutions (Earth Almanac, National Geographic, June, 1993). That bus system transports 1.3 million people a day.

CHRIS E. EMA

Santa Ana

*

* Contrary to the assertions of former commanding Gen. Art Bloomer, the conversion of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station to a commercial/cargo airport would not “minimize costs and maximize benefits,” but would result in an economic disaster for several hundred thousand homeowners living in south Orange County.

Marshaling his “facts” meticulously and convincingly, Bloomer’s case could well have been constructed by the public relations department of air cargo giant Federal Express; which has lusted and lobbied for years to use El Toro’s runways jointly with the Marines. However, the general completely ignores the single most powerful independent variable that must be factored into any decision on the alternative use of these 4,700 acres--the inalienable rights of residential neighbors to shape their lives.

“Air cargo and general aviation aircraft operations could commence immediately,” Bloomer tells us, knowing full well that any such precipitous action would effectively shut off consideration of other alternatives--a bold preemptive strike for Federal Express and United Parcel Service at the expense of 300,000 South County homeowners who would see an immediate negative impact on their property values.

Rather than buy Bloomer’s quick fix, stronger arguments can be mustered for the establishment of an all-county advisory council to explore every alternative use as carefully and systematically as the countywide Airport Site Selection Coalition examined the issue of locating a new international airport to meet Orange County’s long-term needs--a 20-month study that rejected El Toro as an appropriate site and found joint military-commercial/cargo use totally unacceptable!

The residents directly impacted by conversion must be given an advisory voice and then rely on the Orange County Board of Supervisors to make a decision that will be acceptable and economically feasible for its constituencies.

The Coalition for a Responsible Airport Solution, which worked so hard to keep the El Toro base open, must now lead a massive grass-roots campaign to persuade the Department of Defense that Orange County speaks with one voice through its elected Board of Supervisors and that it will not rush to judgment, but will first listen to the voice and advice of its citizens.

The Coalition for a Responsible Airport Solution should also strongly oppose any attempt to annex the air station to Irvine, as suggested by Bloomer. Thank you very much general but we believe El Toro’s 4,700 acres of unincorporated land should remain unincorporated and under the protective custody of the Board of Supervisors.

PATRICIA H. GREEN

Golden Rain Foundation

Laguna Hills

Patricia H. Green is chairwoman of the Government and Public Relations Committee for Golden Rain Foundation Leisure World at Laguna Hills.

*

* Gen. Art Bloomer’s letter on El Toro ignores the most basic objection to converting to a commercial airfield--the noise and hazards involved with landing and taking off over congested residential and business areas.

The El Toro Marine base was there and operating before most of this residential and business area was there, and those of us who moved into the area accepted this noise and hazard because the base function was important and we understood this. However, now, it is unacceptable. Stand on the ground in the landing and takeoff patterns of the Long Beach and LAX airports and the noise is deafening. And the danger is a terrible tragedy waiting to happen in the event of a crash. So we should take the long-range planning necessary to have busy airports located in safer areas.

There is a better answer: Build a huge offshore airport where all landings and takeoffs are over water. It is entirely feasible and sensible. The El Toro and Tustin airports are choice, choice, properties and would command huge sums of money when sold. This money would go a long way toward building the offshore airport. No money would be needed for land, and this would certainly provide the emergency backup mentioned by Bloomer.

MAYNARD SARVAS

Laguna Hills

*

* Now that I’ve heard presentations from both sides of the issue, I’m convinced that the conversion of the El Toro air base to a commercial airport would be devastating to those of us who live in Irvine, Lake Forest, Leisure World, Laguna Hills, Aliso Viejo, Tustin and Foothill Ranch. The huge financial and political efforts of the city of Newport Beach to close the base, and now to convert it to commercial use, reveal the city’s self-serving agenda: To shift the burden of the airport gradually and inexorably to south Orange County residents.

To those not immediately affected by this attempted shift, it might seem that the politically correct thing to do is for South County to share the noise, pollution, risk, and commercialization that a commercial airport brings. However, all of us in Orange County, including those in Newport Beach, bought our homes with the understanding that John Wayne Airport is the county’s commercial airport. We in South County chose El Toro’s occasional F-18 as our neighbor, not John Wayne’s constant flow of passenger jets, and future flow of cargo jets.

From the city manager on down, Newport Beach continues its attempts to manipulate the closure and redevelopment process of this South County facility. As long as it continues to wield its considerable wealth and influence against its South County neighbors, I refuse to patronize any Newport Beach establishment.

JAMES PAUL

Foothill Ranch