CLARENCE J. TURNER -- Community commentary

*CLARENCE J. TURNER is a former Newport Beach mayor.

I commend the Newport Beach City Council on its decision to try to

extend the settlement agreement for John Wayne Airport’s operation.

Although such an attempt is fraught with pitfalls, it is imperative that

the council deal with this problem. Threat of the airport’s expansion

poses a far greater effect on this city’s quality of life than any other

issue, bar none.

The council must remember the agreement is a court-sanctioned pact,

and extending it would require confirmation from the court and the

parties involved.

As that process unfolds, many believe the airline industry will weigh

in and ask the court to increase flights. That action is very probable,

because the environmental study that could make way for the expansion

contemplated a 10.2-million passenger capacity per year.

The current limit of 8.4-million passengers per year was achieved

through negotiations.

The in-depth study, called an environmental impact report or EIR, has

essentially been certified. Thus, it will be an easy compromise for the

court, Orange County, Federal Aviation Administration and others to back

a compromise to increase capacity to the EIR standard before agreeing to

another extension -- if they agree to extend it at all.

Is there another avenue for the council to consider?

Yes. John Wayne is partially funded by the federal government, which

has a tremendous influence on the airport operation. But keep in mind the

federal government does not control land-use restriction surrounding the

facility. Instead, land-use decisions belong to local jurisdictions: the

county; the cities of Costa Mesa, Irvine and Newport Beach; and, one

could argue, the cities of Santa Ana and Tustin.

Thus the Newport Beach City Council should consider working with those

jurisdictions to control airport growth.

I suggest a contract be crafted among the county and the

aforementioned cities to change their general plans for land around the

airport. The new pact should require the parties to abide by the revised

restrictions, to ensure control over the airport and its growth.

The result might not be a panacea for all parties, but it could be

much better than simply extending the settlement agreement. And it could

be an especially useful tool if an extension cannot be obtained.

For the Newport Beach City Council to pull off a settlement extension,

a new land-use agreement as outlined above or even a combination of the

two, it will require imaginative leadership, unfettered flexibility and

the all-out support of our citizens. Let us give them that support and

see what happens.