January 17, 2005
The Honorable Alex Padilla
President, Los Angeles City Council
200 N. Spring Street, Rm 465
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Dear President Padilla,
As the State Assemblymember whose district includes the former MCAS El Toro as well as nearby communities, I urge you to reject the resolution by your city’s Commerce, Energy and Natural Resources Committee to continue Los Angeles’ lobbying efforts to grab control of El Toro away from Orange County.
Following the Committee’s vote last week, the Chairman was quoted as saying that "a room full of key Orange County elected officials" supported his motion.
Let me assure you, the airport advocates from Orange County who spoke in favor of the Committee action do not in any way represent the will of the majority of Orange County voters or the residents who would be most effected by an airport at El Toro. It was clearly a desperate attempt to put an Orange County face on Los Angeles’ hostile takeover of El Toro in order to paint a false picture of local support for the airport.
In March 2002, after a decade of vigorous public debate, Orange County residents flatly rejected using El Toro as a commercial airport when they voted overwhelmingly in favor of Measure W. Measure W changed the County's General Plan and rezoned the property for non-aviation uses, including a 'Great Park' to be enjoyed by all Southern California’s communities.
Federal base closure law requires the federal government to defer to local judgments about how best to reuse closed military installations such as El Toro. As a result, the Navy and Transportation Department have moved forward with the long awaited sale of the property for non-aviation use which is consistent with the clearly expressed will of the local community.
Make no mistake. Should the City of Los Angeles, or any other agency for that matter, attempt a hostile takeover of El Toro, it will be met with the fiercest opposition.
My office, the County of Orange, elected city representatives, and our many allies, will take any and all measures necessary to preserve the interests of our communities and defend the will of Orange County residents.
Sincerely,
TODD SPITZER
Assemblymember, 71st District
TS:ba