County Seeks Full El Toro Lease

Orange County has applied to the Navy for a master lease for non-aviation uses of the entire former Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro, officials said Friday.

In July, when the base closed, the Navy approved a restricted lease for control of only a handful of facilities, including the golf course, day-care center, stables, the officers’ club and a recreational vehicle storage area.

“Essentially, we are making a request that will lower the cost of maintaining the base, thereby reducing expenses for the military, federal government, the county and ultimately the taxpayer,” said Michael L. Lapin, who heads the county’s El Toro master development program.

Negotiations over the lease will resume shortly, Lapin said. They were suspended for nearly one year while the county completed its draft environmental impact report and master plan on a proposal to convert the base to an international airport.

A decision from the Navy on the county’s latest application could take six months, he said. Meanwhile, Cabaco Inc., an Arizona firm the county hired for $1.8 million, will maintain the buildings and other base properties.

A master lease would entitle the county to use at least 50 buildings for office space, storage and warehouses.

The 4,700-acre base has more than 650 buildings, a movie theater, three swimming pools and 1,183 housing units.

Revenue from leases some of that space would help cover the cost of base maintenance, which could be as much as $10 million a year.