Proponents insist that the $35 million spent so far on
planning is a small price to pay for a potentially big
moneymaker. But one critic says the funds merely 'keep a
standing army of consultants on hand to push an airport
agenda.'
By MEG JAMES, JEAN O. PASCO, Times Staff Writers
After spending six years and $35 million planning for a
commercial airport at the former El Toro Marine Corps Air
Station, Orange County has a wealth of reports and studies
on a project whose future is deeply in doubt. El Toro
spending accelerated during the past year even as public
support for the airport began to sour, financial records and
a recent UC Irvine opinion poll show.
"I can't believe that we've spent the time, effort and
money to do this planning process and we don't have
anything to show for it," Supervisor Tom Wilson said
Thursday.
"The folks out there watching . . . see this process that
is running amok, with the county throwing good money
after bad," said Wilson, who opposes an airport at El Toro.
El Toro planning manager Bryan Speegle defended the
spending as a wise investment, saying the $35 million
should be weighed against the ultimate value of the land,
which is about $3.5 billion.
"I don't think 1% of the value of the property is an
unreasonable amount of money to spend to bring a project
from its beginning to where we're ready to begin
construction," Speegle said.
The spending has not attracted much public attention
because of the source of the funds. County officials have,
for the most part, avoided using general tax dollars.
Instead, $27 million in excess revenue from John Wayne
Airport has financed most of the planning process, sparing
funds set aside for other county programs.
Some critics worry that Orange County taxpayers still
could get hit with the tab, however.
Top county leaders said recently that it's possible the
county might have to repay some or all of the John Wayne
Airport money if the El Toro airport planning is abandoned
before its environmental review is approved.
"That's the big unanswered question," County
Executive Officer Jan Mittermeier said recently.
No matter where the $35 million came from, the
county's decision to spend that much on an airport mired
in controversy was foolhardy, said Bruce Whitaker, a
member of the Committees of Correspondence, which
began monitoring Orange County government after the
1994 bankruptcy.
"The airport has been such a burning priority for [the
board majority] that they're blinded to any cost," said
Whitaker, who manages a medical office in Anaheim. "We
should decry this waste of money just to keep a standing
army of consultants on hand to push an airport agenda."
Supervisors on both sides of the El Toro debate have
grown increasingly unhappy with how the airport issue has
been handled. Last week, they voted unanimously to strip
Mittermeier of her oversight responsibilities and establish a
new El Toro planning office.
"There has to be better day-to-day management to keep
the project on time, on schedule and to deliver a project
that will withstand a predictable court challenge," said
Bruce Nestande, president of Citizens for Jobs and the
Economy, a pro-airport group.
In addition, the supervisors have ordered an audit to
determine how Mittermeier's staff uses funds from John
Wayne Airport to pay for El Toro planning. The amount of
money diverted from John Wayne has nearly doubled in
the past year, from $14 million to $27 million.
Critics questioned whether John Wayne Airport money
was inappropriately used to cover more than $800,000 in
salaries for administrators overseeing recreation programs
at the former military base. The programs had nothing to
do with the future airport.
"As long as it's master-planned for an airport, and
we're trying to make that happen, I don't have a problem
with that," board Chairman Chuck Smith said of the
recreation spending. "If the FAA says there's a problem, I
guess we'll just have to pay back the money."
Mittermeier said she welcomed the review.
"County staff has worked diligently to ensure that
payment procedures and funding requirements with regard
to the El Toro account are strictly adhered to," she said in
a memo defending the spending.
In addition to the millions from John Wayne Airport,
the county spent $3 million from a federal grant. Federal
rules require that airport money be spent "directly and
substantially related to the air transportation of passengers
or property."
Meanwhile, South County cities spent nearly $22
million in the past three years--and will spend at least $10
million more this fiscal year--fighting the airport. All of the
money is from general tax revenue.
South County officials have defended their spending,
saying they are fighting for their quality of life.
During the past three years, the county's big-ticket El
Toro expenses have included:
* $9.4 million for P&D Consultants of Orange for
developing a master plan for the new airport and
associated development.
* Nearly $4 million for lawyers, including $2.2 million
for Michael Gatzke, and more than half a million dollars to
the county counsel's office.
* $3.1 million for the Planning Center and its
subcontractors, which has worked on a required
environmental review of the project. The Costa Mesa firm
has been working on airport landscape plans, business
park designs, road configurations, open space plans and
other support services.
* More than $4 million for the "base transition plan"
and interim base uses, including $1.5 million for Orange
County fire service during the past 10 months.
* $2.6 million for LSA Associates of Irvine, which has
more than 21 staff members working on the environmental
review and other technical reports.
* $1.4 million to cover staff time for project
management within Mittermeier's office.
* * *
Airport supporters and county officials defend the
costs. They say an airport at El Toro is essential to meet
the growing demand for air travel and for Orange County's
economic growth.
Backed by a successful voter initiative in 1994, the
county's airport plan calls for 2,000 acres of the
4,700-acre base to be used for the airfield, serving as
many as 28.8 million passengers a year by 2020. The rest
of the land is slated for a large regional park.
"This is a one-time massive infrastructure project, and
there is nothing to compare it to," Nestande said. "But
some of the costs have been driven by the intense daily
scrutiny, accusations and misstatements coming from
[anti-airport cities], anti-airport people."
Others say the county's problems are more
fundamental.
"They've spent nearly $40 million and even the
pro-airport supporters say that their plan for an airport
won't work," said Paul Eckles, executive director of the
anti-airport El Toro Reuse Planning Authority, an eight-city
coalition.
"It's not possible to have a workable airport on that
piece of property that is safe for the surrounding
communities, economically feasible and politically and
environmentally viable."
* * *
El Toro Planning Costs
Since 1993 Orange County has spent about $35 million
planning for the reuse of the former El Toro Marine base.
Of that amount, $27 million has come from John Wayne
Airport revenue, $3 million from a federal grant and the
rest from general tax dollars. In July 1997, the county
created a separate account for El Toro expenditures. Here
are some of the larger payments from July 1997-April 15,
2000:
Program Administration
County planners (salaries): $1.5 million
CEO's office (salaries): $1.4 million
Bruce Wetsel (consultant): $294,671
Michael Lapin (program mgr): $153,440
Hanscomb Inc. (consultant): $17,084
TOTAL:: $3.4 million
* * *
Planning and engineering
P&D Consultants (master plan): $9.4 million
The Planning Center (consult.): $3.1 million
LSA Associates (consultants): $2.6 million
JHTM Associates (consultants): $192,883
County planners (salaries): $162,607
Austin Foust (consultants): $20,202
El Toro Reuse Planning Authority: $20,000
Mestre Greve (noise engineers): $19,476
Jones & Stokes (consultant): $10,016
TOTAL:: $15.6 million
* * *
Lawyers
Michael Gatzke (general): $2.2 million
County counsel (salaries): $588,904
McCutcheon, Doyle (environ.): $571,770
Mark Mispagel (general): $552,255
TOTAL:: $3.9 million
* * *
Public Relations / Education /
Cable Television programs
Nelson Comm. (advertising): $325,161
Adlink (advertising): $145,378
Lynette Brasfield (public rel.): $128,923
Burson Marsteller (public rel.): $113,744
OC Regional Airport Authority: $58,666
Thomas Wall (speakers bureau): $55,000
Intratek (computer Website): $42,768
Time Warner (cable): $24,450
Patricia Buttress (speakers bureau): $13,809
TOTAL:: $907,899
* * *
Lobbyists
Hill & Knowlton: $180,000
Higgins, McGovern & Smith: $85,275
TOTAL: $265,275
* * *
Base Transition / Recreation programs
* Cabaco (base manager): $4.8 million
Orange County Fire Authority: $1.4 million
Gary Simon (real estate manager): $450,319
Orange County Sheriff's Dept.: $207,523
Richard Thorman (golf consultant): $44,588
Dean Tibbs (electrical consultant): $22,853
Reimer & Assoc. (utility consult): $14,999
TOTAL:: $7 million
* * *
Flight Demonstration
TOTAL:: $892,555
* * *
Misc. Office expenses
Office expenses: $337,921
Telephone, utilities: $52,981
HL Miller (office renovations): $39,802
Ron Yeo (architect, office improvements): $9,019
TOTAL:: $439,723
* * *
Travel, Meetings, Conferences
TOTAL:: $94,674
Misc. contractors
Rosenow, Spevacek (homeless/housing study):
$10,076
* Cabaco's payments are offset by $2.2 million in
revenue the company collected running the RV storage lot,
golf course and horse stables. .
Source: Orange County Auditor-Controller's Office
Los Angeles Times
