El Toro utopia blocks real action Even...

El Toro utopia

blocks real action

Even though Irvine now has sole zoning power over El Toro, and the

Navy has taken the last step needed to auction off the land, the

pro-El Toro die-hards still fantasize that the feds will wave a magic

wand and make El Toro rise Phoenix-like from the ashes of 10 years of

failed litigation and political warfare. To believe in this fantasy,

you must ignore not only the opposition of Rep. Chris Cox, one of the

most powerful members of Congress, but also the certainty that Irvine

is fully prepared to wage another 10-year war to prevent it from

happening.

The harsh reality about John Wayne is that it’s going to become an

airport capable of handling 20-million passengers unless our

community organizes to stop it. The El Toro fantasy has become the

main obstacle to effective political action.

DAN EMORY

Newport Beach

Marine air station must be an option

The Pilot article, “Airport struggling to stay under the cap,”

Tuesday, is an excellent description of the John Wayne Airport

status. With its present rate of growth, John Wayne Airport will

reach more than 10-million passengers per year some time in 2005.

Since this is close to the cap of 10.3 million, there is little the

airport can do to limit growth but raise the fares and limit access

until the year 2011.

The only viable alternative to expansion of John Wayne Airport is

opening the El Toro Airport. We can expect little help from the Board

of Supervisors in limiting John Wayne Airport growth, since three out

of five supervisors have received financial support from south Orange

County groups and, accordingly, vote in favor of south county

demands.

Irvine and other South County leaders have stated that the El Toro

airport was unneeded, since John Wayne Airport was “underutilized.”

These same leaders repeated often that John Wayne Airport could

double and then triple its capacity. This would put the passenger

level at 25 million.

One possibility mentioned was Los Angeles City Councilwoman Cindy

Miscikowski’s plan to create a regional airport authority, which

would essentially force Southern California officials to come to the

table and talk airports. Since the region as a whole is deficient in

airport capacity, regional support for opening the El Toro airport

would have political weight.

The other suggestion, by Charles Griffin, was to urge the plane

manufacturer, Airbus, buy El Toro when it is auctioned off this fall

and use it to accommodate the new, larger passenger plan the company

is developing.

This move by a potential buyer would bring the El Toro airport

issue back into the public focus.

One thing is for sure. The El Toro airport issue is not dead!

SHIRLEY A. CONGER

Corona del Mar