Anti-Airport War Veteran Leads El Toro Counterattack

IRVINE â€”  After spending 20 years safely navigating the stormy waters of Inglewood politics, former city manager Paul D. Eckles has now placed himself in the thick of the El Toro airport debate.

But whether he is a glutton for punishment or an ambitious problem solver, Eckles, newly named executive director of the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority, is in a position that could bring with it as much satisfaction as dread.

Eckles, 57, is responsible for a staff of nearly 100 people including consultants,engineers, planners and private citizens who are feverishly putting together a non-aviation alternative plan for the retiring El Toro Marine Corps Air Station by the April 3 deadline.

Last month, a divided county Board of Supervisors voted to make ETRPA the official planner for the non-aviation plan, an action that places even more pressure on Eckles to come through with a solid proposal.

Eckles, who retired from Inglewood in April, must coordinate many facets of a complicated project that could make or break plans for a non-airport use of the 4,700-acre military base.

Last December, the Board of Supervisors voted to proceed with plans to build a civilian airport at the military base. But opponents of the airport have now been given the opportunity to create their own proposed plans for the base, which could include a sports complex, a university or a regional shopping mall.

Eckles, who was hired for a year at $180,000, is undaunted.

“Most of my career I’ve been involved in trying to make things happen, [and] I’d like to think that in this case I am going to make something happen too,� said Eckles. “I think in the end, when everything is known about an airport and they see the plan that we are going to produce, that is going to have a powerful impact.�

The challenge is massive, with Eckles heading up more than half a dozen committees made up of at least five members each.

With a soft yet confident manner, Eckles is accustomed to fractured and emotional political debates.

And, after all, Inglewood is no stranger to airport issues.

He was there when city officials unsuccessfully battled Los Angeles County airport authorities over flight paths into Los Angeles International Airport.

He was there to see the lawsuits, the protests, the bitter discussions and finally the deterioration of neighborhoods due, at least in part, to the almost incessant noisy rumble of passenger jets.

*

By his own admission, he is a hired gun who has come into the Orange County fray with a mission--ensuring that the Marine base does not become an international airport.

“When I arrived, [Inglewood] was literally at war with the airport,� he said. “Once you have an airport open, it’s going to go on operating and it’s going to go on growing.�

A slender man with an imposing frame and the air of an investment banker, Eckles took the job in Inglewood in 1973 from Chicago, where he was a public administrator for an international consulting firm.

The 1970s brought out some of the nastiest battles in airport politics.

For the next 15 years, Inglewood officials tried every tactic--ranging from lawsuits to arresting airline pilots for noise pollution--hoping to halt flights and end airport expansion.

But, like many other cities next to airports, Inglewood eventually forged an agreement with Los Angeles and the Federal Aviation Administration to help pay for the removal of most of the housing directly under the flight paths.

Eckles proved to be adept at negotiating major deals such as bringing a casino to Inglewood and establishing vast redevelopment zones. Though this year, the city’s efforts to bring in a new sports arena failed when developers opted for a location in downtown Los Angeles.

“He brought a lot of stability� to the city, said Councilman Jose Fernandez. “He has an enormous capacity to deal with hornets. . . . He is very skilled at negotiating. I think that is one of the things that keeps him in public service.�

But in 1996, Eckles retired abruptly.

At the time, several council candidates had criticized Eckles for drawing a $207,000 salary and in his resignation speech, Eckles noted that he had become an easy target in a political free-for-all.

In October, Eckles began exploring the possibility of applying for the ETRPA position.

His familiarity with airport politics made him the natural candidate for ETRPA, said Richard Dixon, chairman of the organization.

“His experience in Inglewood is one where he saw his community deteriorate over time in part due to LAX,� said Dixon. “That is a knowledge that we don’t have. We have all the data but we haven’t experienced it. He brings a passion to help us make sure we don’t get an airport in El Toro.�

Part of the challenge, Eckles acknowledges, will be bringing airport supporters into the non-aviation planning process. Eckles and his staff have met with county representatives hoping to include them in meetings.

“What happened [in Orange County] is that the planning process was short-circuited� with the passage of Measure A, the 1994 voter initiative that paved the way for an airport, said Eckles. “I think it’s important that the people of Orange County get a credible alternative plan to consider as a counterpoint to the airport.�

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Profile: Paul D. Eckles

Age: 57

Family: Married, two grown children

Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics, Stanford University, 1962; master’s degree in public administration, 1970, Illinois Institute of Technology

Background: City manager for Inglewood since 1975; assistant city manager for Inglewood 1973-75; consultant for Public Administration Service 1966-73; 1963-66 worked for state of California

Quote: “The planning process got short-circuited with the initiative process. Some folks might say, ‘Well, the people have decided,’ but I really don’t think the people got the full benefit of the analysis and their own participation.�

Source: Paul D. Eckles