EARLY BIRD NEWS on the Message Board provides full text newspaper stories, opinion pieces and letters.  During the day, we digest, analyze and post the main stories on this page - and add information that doesn't make the papers.

Click here for previous news stories

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Market Wire, January 31, 2006
"LAX and Ontario International Post Higher Passenger Volumes for 2005"

"Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) today announced record international passenger volume at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for 2005, while Ontario International Airport (ONT) set its own record for total passengers."

"Year-end statistics released by LAWA show LAX airlines served 17,486,263 international passengers in 2005, eclipsing the previous high of 17,415,749 in 2000."

"Total passenger volume at LAX in 2005 was 61,489,398, up 1.3 percent from 2004. The record year for total passenger traffic at LAX was 2000, when the airport served 67.3 million travelers."

"Air freight handled at LAX in 2005 was 2,048,817 tons, surpassing the previous record of 2,022,911 tons set in 2004."

"ONT passenger traffic increased 4 percent to 7,213,528 passengers from 6,935,713 in 2004. It was the second consecutive record year, with both domestic and international travelers contributing to the higher tally."

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LA Times, January 31, 2006
"Light-Rail Plan May Be Back on Track in Irvine"

"Less than four months after the demise of the controversial CenterLine light-rail project, a new rail proposal in Irvine is reviving debate about the viability of mass transit in Orange County."

"The proposal, which won an initial endorsement from the Irvine City Council last week, would use millions in state money that the city had earmarked for CenterLine to instead help connect the future Orange County Great Park with Irvine's Metrolink station and the Spectrum shopping center."

"The 5½-mile system . . . would cost an estimated $210 million."

"The city agreed to spend its state mass-transit money by July 1, 2010, or lose it."

Click for more.

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OC Register, January 28, 2006 - updated
"Great Park travel seen as possibly violating law"
"Open-meeting requirements are at issue as the district attorney investigates."

"Last November, a dozen Great Park board and staff members traveled to Barcelona, Paris and New York to conduct interviews with three design finalists vying to create the 1,350-acre park."

"Because of public concerns about the nature of such a trip, board members conducted their 10-day journey as one long public meeting to comply with the state's open-meeting laws."

"Peter Scheer, executive director of the California First Amendment Coalition [said] 'Even if they were acting in good faith, it's next to impossible to comply."

"Investigators interviewed Irvine Councilwoman Christina Shea on Friday. While Shea doesn't think the trip to Europe violated any open-meetings laws, she has raised concerns about how consensus was formed around this week's decision to hire New York architect Ken Smith."

"'It's completely compromised,' Shea said of the selection process."

Click for the entire article.

Website Editor: The District Attorney does not appear to be examining any of the myriad of potentially serious charges raised by critics of Great Park Chairman Larry Agran and aired in the press. By directing his inquiry towards possibly unintentional, benign and technical violations of the open meeting law, Dist. Atty. Rackauckas is neither proving nor disproving recent allegations about the use of slate mailers to circumvent campaign spending limits, improper no-bid contracts, diversion of funds, payoffs, etc.

After an investigation of open meeting violations in Garden Grove last year the D.A.'s office recommended that the city "institute an appropriate formal classroom training program on the requirements of the Brown Act."  The recommendation was a light slap on the wrist.

We would like to see more investigative efforts directed towards quickly dispelling the cloud that is hanging over the management of the Great Park project. If the various charges are sour grapes as Agran supporters contend, they need to be exposed for what they are.  If they are true, some changes are in order.

The Register's Steve Greenhut offers his skeptical comments. "An investigation by the DA? Yeah, right! "

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OC Register, January 27, 2006
"El Toro cleanup gets EPA and Navy approval"

"The Navy and the Environmental Protection Agency have signed off on several pollution sites at the old El Toro base as sufficiently scrubbed and are closing in on finishing a section of the base that could have delayed construction of parts of the Great Park."

"The Navy has spent $191.6 million to date cleaning the old base and reckons it will spend $77 million more to finish the job, which may take until 2036."

"[In] an area near the center of the base where the soil was contaminated by dumped fuels and oils that were then lit for fire-suppression practice, remediation will be completed this year. Preliminary plans call for the area to become a meadowland at the Great Park."

Click for more from the Times.

The OC Register adds its own spin to the matter with an editorial "The Great Toxic Dump".

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OC Register, January 26, 2006
“Fares soaring at JWA”

“Airfares at Orange County's John Wayne Airport took the biggest leap of any major airport in the country in the year through September, climbing 14 percent” according to the  U.S. Department of Transportation's Air Travel Price Index, a quarterly analysis of fares paid by passengers at U.S. airports.

"’It's supply and demand,’ said Tom Jackson, who runs World Travel in Santa Ana. ‘Since time immemorial, the airlines have been able to charge a premium on the Orange County-John Wayne departures because of its proximity to the customer base. People just don't want to go to L.A. They just don't.’"

“A pact between the county and Newport Beach limits the number of passengers a year at John Wayne Airport. The passenger limit is set at 10.3 million a year through 2010 and 10.8 million through 2015.”

“Thom Nulty, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Aloha Airlines, said . . . Airlines recognize that many Orange County residents prefer to fly out of John Wayne Airport than to drive to Los Angeles International or elsewhere, and are able to charge more because of it.”

“Over the past 10 years, the biggest fare increases have been at airports in Hawaii, Long Beach and Burbank, the data showed.”  Click for the entire article.

Website Editor: John Wayne, Long Beach and Burbank have experienced growth in passenger traffic as a result of domestic travelers shunning LAX over the past five years. Los Angeles officials, who seek to achieve “regionalization” of air traffic, have succeeded by accomplishing too little to improve LAX’s ground access, security lines and outdated terminals.

Orange County residents who are unhappy about the fare situation can thank their county supervisors for agreeing in 2002 to cap John Wayne airport at its current limit of 10.3 million annual passengers when the previous limits expired. The political decision was made during the anti-El Toro Measure W campaign and was colored by arguments over the need for more airport capacity. An environmental impact report showed the airport physically capable of serving 13.9 million but supervisors chose a compromise alternative.

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LA Times, January 25, 2006
“Great Park Grounds Will Need Scrubbing”
“Toxic substances must be removed and tons of concrete hauled off the base before Irvine can make its 1,300-acre dream come true.”

“With the naming of a master designer this week for the Orange County Great Park, supporters are agleam with its potential. Now comes the hard part: dealing with toxic leftovers at the former El Toro Marine base in Irvine where the park will be located.”

“About 900 acres of concrete and asphalt runways must be pulverized and carted away. As much as 700,000 pounds of toxic substances may have seeped from an aging sewage system, and soil and groundwater were fouled by industrial solvents, pesticides and jet fuel dumped during the base's 56 years of operation.”

“The centerpiece of Smith's design for the park is a 2-mile-long canyon to be sculpted alongside the base's longest runways — an ambitious undertaking that will involve moving 5 million cubic yards of earth at an estimated cost of $14 million.”

“The Navy has an obligation to deal with the contamination and has repeatedly assured the city that it will keep that promise.”

Click for the entire Pasco article, followed by Dana Parson’s sober assessment that "Most people in Orange County didn't much care  . . . if a park was built or not. Sure, it'd be nice, but defeating the airport was the name of the game." and “Most of us haven't paid much attention to the ins and outs of how [the park] will be built or financed, although its supporters insist that's all been taken care of.”

Website Editor: The honeymoon didn’t last very long. 

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El Toro Info Site, January 25, 2006
Long Beach Airport has record year

For the first time, passenger volume at Long Beach Airport topped 3 million passengers in 2005. The airport saw a 3.7 percent increase over the previous year.

JetBlue accounted for nearly three of every four passengers using the facility.

Most of the growth over the past five years has come from domestic travelers who previously used LAX.

The Southern California Association of Governments, SCAG forecasted LGB to serve 3.8 million passengers in 2030. The airport quickly will reach that level if a carrier steps forward to fill the airport’s 25 daily flight slots for regional jets.

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El Toro Info Site report, January 24, 2006
Media comments on yesterday's designer selection

The Times and Register provide extensive print coverage of the selection of New York’s Ken Smith Landscape Architect to be master designer of the Great Park. Click here for news stories from both papers plus comments from architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne.  

Selected quotes follow:

Smith's plan highlights
• A great canyon, two miles long and about 30 feet deep
• Uncovering streams that have been carried by tunnels under the old base
• Vintage aircraft displayed along sections of the old runways
• An amphitheater

Next steps:  The board formed a committee consisting of Larry Agran, Miguel Pulido and Walkie Ray to negotiate a contract with Ken Smith. For their design efforts, Smith's team is expected to be paid between $5 million and $10 million.

The Great Park's manager of engineering, Christina Lo . . . said it would take at least a month to negotiate the contract, which includes the scope of work, amount of pay, the schedule and management.

Once the contract is negotiated, the design firm will take about six to nine months to create a master plan.

Construction likely is at least 18 months away, the board said. Demolition of the old base buildings could begin within months. A groundbreaking ceremony is slated for Spring, 2006.

Few perhaps were more pleased than Bob Santos, president of the Lennar Great Park project. Lennar completed its purchase of the land in July and since has been awaiting a board decision . . . Before the vote, Santos told the board to "trust in the integrity of the process" that had carried them to this day. "There's a winner - it's time to move on and build a great park."

For more about the park and the designer presentations visit the OC Great Park website.

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El Toro Info Site report, January 23, 2006
Ken Smith Architects selected

The GPC board selected the New York City firm of Ken Smith Architects today to be master designers of the Great Park. GPC Chairman Larry Agran recommended Smith last week and prevailed with his choice. 

The decision is likely to be a popular one with the public. Smith’s canyon feature was well received. A report (see below) prepared by the PR firm of Forde and Mollrich showed the Smith design receiving high grades in an online poll.

The board’s decision was on a 7-1 vote. Commissioner Shea argued that the differences in scores in the public poll were very small. She expressed concern about the Smith firm’s “track record” and called the firm the “least capable” of carrying out the large project. She expressed that “the people of Orange County should not have to pay for Smith’s learning curve.” At least one other director who voted for Smith cited the greater experience and strength of the other finalists.

Today’s meeting concluded a sometimes criticized, costly and time consuming international design competition. Now comes the hard part – designing, financing and building the project.

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OC Register, January 23, 2006
"Great Park plans today to choose a designer"
"Chairman expects selection after staff said collaboration by 3 firms would be impractical."

"The Great Park board is set to choose a master designer from three finalists today . . . Great Park Chairman Larry Agran says he is confident a designer can be selected, and representatives of all three design firms say they will be attending the meeting."

"Agran probably has four votes - his own and those of board members Beth Krom, Sukhee Kang and Miguel Pulido - for Ken Smith. Only one other vote would be needed to give the project to the New York architectural firm."

"The Great Park board directors' latest leanings suggest split votes between Royston Hanamoto Alley & Abey of Mill Valley and Ken Smith of New York, while EMBT of Barcelona appears out of the running - at least for the master designer job."

"Board members stressed at the last meeting that they want the designer selection to be a unanimous vote. But that appears a remote possibility."

"The selection process began in April 2005, and the field of 24 designers was narrowed to seven and then three. Initially, Ken Smith's centerpiece canyon helped it win favor with two independent design juries, an informal online poll and most of the Great Park board. In September, final approval for Ken Smith as the master designer seemed likely."

"But the board chose to further narrow the field of designers to Smith, EMBT and Royston - and to tour the offices and examine the past work of each. In November, board members went to Europe and New York; last month, the board visited parks in Northern California and toured Royston's offices."

Website Editor:  Chairman Agran skipped the trip to Spain and France. Instead, Agran used some of that time for a private visit to Ken Smith in New York. When the rest of the GPC delegation showed up in New York for two days of meetings to evaluate the Smith team, Agran left Arnold Forde of Forde and Mollrich to observe and excused himself at noon on Day One.

Click for the entire article and a survey of how the directors are leaning.

Click for the GPC board agenda and link to the staff report on the impracticality of a collaborative design process. (1.4 MB PDF file)

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El Toro Info Site report, January 22, 2006
Great Park design online poll

We have posted the report of the Great Park Master Designer Online Poll.

Of interest is the finding that “deconstructive plans” that “do not remind the viewer of the former base” received higher scores and generally more favorable public comment. The Ken Smith firm ranked high with respondents. So did the Richard Haag firm’s plan though the board did not included Haag amongst its three finalists.

Tomorrow, the Great Park Corp board is scheduled to decide which of the designers to select. The choice will come after nine months, the expenditure of over a million dollars on public relations, polls and surveys, travel expenses, and disbursements to the various participants and juries. See more below.
 
In the end, the board should select a firm based on proven ability to perform the required tasks, rather than relying too heavily on public reaction to a small group of design renderings. In the years ahead, the master designer will have to evaluate the site’s limitations and opportunities, perform a huge amount of highly technical work, and make concessions to the available funding.

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El Toro Info Site report, January 21, 2006 - updated
Who will design the Great Park?

On Monday, January 23 at 10:00 AM the Great Park Corp board will try again to decide who will design the park. At its December 15 meeting the board failed to choose and flirted with a coalition of the finalists.

A questionnaire was sent to the three lead design candidates asking how they might collaborate. Reportedly two of them did not care for the idea.

The Great Park Corp staff recommended last week that the collaboration scheme be dropped.

The Great Park Corp has announced a media event to introduce the successful candidate (candidates) at 3:00 PM on Monday. Apparently, the board chairman expects to have a decision Monday morning.

Several professional comments have been critical of the conduct of the design competition and the board’s inability to settle on one designer. The L.A. Times' architecture critic comments  on how the “Great Park Chill Brings On Cold Feet.”

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LA Times, January 19, 2006
"City grounds plan for LAX"

"Paving the way for the city to draft a new plan to modernize Los Angeles International Airport, the City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved an agreement to shelve an $11-billion overhaul in exchange for airport-area communities dropping lawsuits challenging the plan."

"The city's airport agency will start its third attempt in 11 years to devise a palatable proposal to upgrade the 77-year-old facility as soon as the litigation is dropped in state and federal court. To begin work on a new plan, airport officials will meet with residents and airlines to come up with ways to improve security at LAX and update its terminals. The process will allow Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who voted against former Mayor James K. Hahn's controversial LAX plan in 2004, to craft his own airport update."

To read Jennifer Oldham's complete story, please, click here.

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LA Daily News, January 18, 2006
"Regional air flights supported"

"The Board of [LA County] Supervisors voted Tuesday in favor of Antonovich's resolution urging Los Angeles World Airports to explore a variety of incentives to attract airlines to Palmdale Regional Airport and the airport at Ontario."

Examples of the proposed incentives are reducing or eliminating various taxes and fees and subsidizing airport security and cargo-handling improvements.

"Palmdale lost its only airline last weekend when Scenic Airlines pulled out, citing low passenger loads for its flights to North Las Vegas. Scenic, which operated 19-passenger turboprop aircraft, had flown out of Palmdale for just over a year."

"In a 2001 study commissioned by Los Angeles County, the consulting firm Tri-Star Marketing stated that Palmdale can support a profitable passenger service linking the Antelope Valley with Western cities such as Dallas, Denver or San Francisco."

Click here to read the entire story in the Early Bird News.

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Antelope Valley Press, Monday January 16, posted January 17
"[LA County] Supervisor puts focus on terminal in Palmdale"

Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich is renewing his call for LAX operators to focus on bringing airlines to Palmdale's again-vacant terminal.

"Palmdale Airport is located in the heart of one of the fastest growing areas of the country. It has a fully-equipped and operational terminal poised for full utilization," Antonovich said in a motion that the Board  of Supervisors will consider Tuesday. "Efforts to promote growth of  Palmdale Airport offer a variety of both local and region-wide benefits including relieving congestion at LAX and surrounding neighborhoods"

"LAWA is in charge of all flights coming in and out of Ontario, LAX and Palmdale," said Lori Glasgow, an Antonovich aide. "We want them to look at the airports as a region."

Click here to read the complete story in the 'Early Bird News.

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El Toro Info Site report, January 15, 2006
Bruce Nestande contract

Last January, the Irvine City Council startled its anti-airport allies by unanimously voting to hire Bruce Nestande as a consultant. He was to “provide strategic advice and assistance regarding various issues and planning matters associated with the civilian reuse” of El Toro.”

Before switching sides, Nestande was President of the George Argyros-funded Citizens for Jobs and the Economy, the group backing Measure A and leading the attack on Measures F and W. Nestande was a plaintiff in several unsuccessful lawsuits to block anti-airport efforts. 

In response to website viewers’ questions regarding the outcome of the arrangement, we submitted a California Public Records Act request to Irvine. Documents confirm that Nestande was paid $90,000 as provided in his six-month contract and did spend some time on the assigned task.

Nestande made general suggestions to the City Manager’s office regarding addition of “a proactive regional [transportation] component” to Irvine planning. Nestande arranged a visit to the Great Park by Mark Pisano, Executive Director of the Southern California Association of Governments, SCAG.  He also discussed participation by Mayor Beth Krom in SCAG regional planning activities.

Nestande participated in “a preliminary meeting” regarding a flyaway facility in Irvine, similar to the one in Van Nuys, to connect passengers to LAX or Ontario. He wrote, in a June 21, 2005 memo, “The response is one of caution recognizing the lingering attitude by some Los Angeles political leaders due to the loss of commercial aviation at El Toro.”

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OC Register, January 14, 2006
"Grand jury probing Great Park"

"The Orange County grand jury is looking into the dealings of Irvine City Council members and other administrators of the Great Park project." See story.

"Irvine administrators this month notified council members as well as members of the Great Park Corp. board that the grand jury asked to interview Councilwoman Christina Shea." [who] was interviewed this week.

"[Larry] Agran said he was not worried. 'I welcome any scrutiny that is given to the operation of the Great Park Corporation,' he said."

"Longstanding concerns have hounded the proposed Great Park virtually since the nonprofit corporation was founded in the wake of the closure of the El Toro Marine base. Much of the criticism has centered on Agran's dominance on the park board."

"In May, retired Irvine Co. executive Dick Sim resigned from the board, saying the group was playing fast and loose with no-bid public-relations and engineering contracts. Sim questioned the hiring of Great Park CEO Wally Kreutzen, saying he had no experience in park development. And Sim questioned a $600,000 international design competition for the park, arguing that many other issues - such as toxic cleanup - should be considered before considering designs."

"While the board has slightly more than $400 million in developer fees from Lennar to build public infrastructure and the park, Sim said the money could run out fast without better planning."

"'Their business practices stink. That's why I resigned,' Sim said Friday."

See the OC Weekly report below.

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El Toro Info Site report, January 13, 2006
San Diego posts November gains
Airport authority to study second airport near Orange County

While air travel in the five Southern California counties centered on Los Angeles and LAX has been slow to recover, San Diego's Lindbergh Field continues to post strong passenger figures.

Passenger traffic at Lindbergh Field was up 5.4% for the eleven months ending November when compared to last year. San Diego air travel is now 8.0 % ahead of where it was in the eleven months ending November 2000.
 
The San Diego Regional Airport Authority has opened investigation of the possibility of building a single-runway second airport in North S.D. County that could draw passengers from Orange and Riverside counties.

Website Editor: This is an alternative concept that Orange County political leadership and citizens should support. Provision of adequate road access is key to its success.
 
See articles in today's SD Union-Tribune and North County Times.

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OC Weekly, January 12, 2006
"Grand jury launches investigation of OC Great Park shenanigans"

"The Orange County grand jury has launched a preliminary investigation into potential criminal or unethical conduct at the Great Park government operation, sources tell the Weekly."

"The development must have startled Larry Agran, the Irvine city councilman and chairman of the Great Park Corp. board . . . [Agran] learned about the probe last week and has already contacted a prominent, well-connected defense lawyer in hopes of thwarting a full-scale investigation."

"Because Agran and his Democratic political allies control the Irvine City Council, they also control the powerful $400 million Great Park board, the public corporation overseeing construction of a park at the abandoned El Toro Marine Corps Air Station."

Click for the entire Scott Moxley article.

Website Editor: We hope that the Weekly has exaggerated with its allegations of wrong doing based on information from unnamed sources. However, where there is smoke there is apt to be fire. This writer has expressed concern with the questionable handling of funds collected by the Safe and Healthy Communities Fund and transferred to the Hometown Voters Guide for apparently political use. As we posted earlier today - before we knew of the Weekly article and heard of the Grand Jury preliminary investigation - we don't want the park project derailed by arrogant mismanagement the way county leadership screwed up the airport project. The need for good governance of the park development has been a theme with this website for many months.

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El Toro Info Site report, January 12, 2006
John Wayne airport completes record year

John Wayne airport served 9,627,032 passengers in 2005, a 3.8 percent increase over 2004 and a new record for the year.
 
Compared to 2004, commercial air carrier operations decreased by 2.4 percent. The airport's growth in passenger service has yet to result in significantly more flights and noise or come at the expense of neighbors living in the flight paths.

Based on regional statistics, the growth in utilization of the Orange County airport appears to come as a result of passengers choosing John Wayne over LAX for their travel needs.

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El Toro Info Site report, January 12, 2006
The Irvine City Council and El Toro reuse 

Irvine politics is not our issue, the future of El Toro is. But when we read what the Register, Irvine World News and LA Times all have to say about the conduct of “12 hours of debate” over a unique city ethics code with no enforcement provisions, it raises concerns. The badly split city council occupies 5 of the current 8 seats on the Great Park Corp board and controls the others. 

It is this writer’s opinion that the Orange County Board of Supervisors screwed up the effort to build an airport, even after Measure A passed giving them an apparent public mandate to proceed. I’m happy for the airport project’s failure but don’t want the same thing to happen to the park. 

We have been informed that the new “Rules for Ethical and Open Governance,” do not apply to the Great Park Corp. I hope that rules to bar private benefit by GPC board members, their families and friends will be implemented with greater unanimity.

The GPC board needs to get on with selecting a park designer, electing a non-city member to fill a seat that has been vacant for eight months, and begin runway demolition.

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El Toro Info Site report, January 11, 2006
Campbell and Norby to head Board 

On Tuesday, the Orange County  Board of Supervisors reelected Bill Campbell to be Chairman of the Board and elevated Supervisor Chris Norby to Vice-Chairman.

Norby's 2002 victory over Cynthia Coad ended the 3-2 pro-El Toro airport majority on the board. Campbell's election to fill the vacancy created by Todd Spitzer's departure for the state legislature enabled airport opponents to dismantle El Toro implementing action taken by the previous Smith-Coad-Silva board.

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El Toro Info Site report, January 11, 2006
Area airports post mixed November results

Total data for the six airports in the Southern California Association of Governments region – LAX, John Wayne, Burbank, Ontario, Long Beach and Palm Springs – shows their combined passenger total has not yet recovered to the level preceding the 911 terrorist attacks. Regional air traffic for the 11 months ending November was 0.3 percent less than for the same period in 2000.

Domestic passengers continue to shun the Los Angeles airport in favor of more accessible or user-friendly airports. LAX domestic traffic fell in November to below last year’s already depressed rate. All of the other airports reported record traffic for the month and for the year to date.

International travelers, having few other options, provided the only good news for LAX.

Comparison – 11 months ending November 

Airport	11 months 2000 passengers	11 months 2005 passengers	Passenger change
LAX Total	61,877,445	56,522,333	-5,355,112
LAX Domestic	45,901,419	40,450,878	-5,450,541
LAX Intl.	15,976,026	16,071,455	95,429
John Wayne	7,166,474	8,858,325	1,691,851
Ontario	6,184,984	6,624,390	439,406
Burbank	4,352,504	5,051,981	699,477
Long Beach	595,774	2,790,228	2,194,454
Palm Springs	1,169,705	1,285,178	115,473
Regional Total	81,346,886	81,132,435	-214,451

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Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, January 9, 2006
“Disney marketing pact pays off for ONT”

“Disney representatives approached local airports in 2005, looking for a way to spread the word about Disneyland's 50th anniversary and related events at the Anaheim resort.”

”When they met with officials from Los Angeles World Airports, which owns both ONT and Los Angeles International Airport, the focus was on Ontario, said Disney spokesman Robert Deuel. ‘LAWA was interested in promoting Ontario International Airport as a gateway to Southern California,’ Deuel said.”

“Disney promoted ONT in brochures and on its Web site as one of several convenient airports for travelers looking to visit the theme park.”

”However, the airport is still far from being the top destination for Disneyland-bound tourists. Transportation to Anaheim is more complicated for ONT travelers than it is for those arriving at LAX, even though the two airports are just as far from the park.”

”Shuttle services are limited at ONT, and it costs more to get from there to Disneyland than it does for travelers arriving at LAX.”

”Also, the officially licensed Disneyland Resort Express bus ferries recently arrived travelers to the park every half-hour -- but only from LAX and John Wayne Airport.”

"Liz Greene of Coach USA, the transit firm that operates the buses, said there are no immediate plans to extend the service to Ontario. She also wasn't aware of any discussions to branch out in the future. "

Website Editor: We have been reporting the need for better ground access to ONT.

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OC Register, January 8, 2006
"Designers vie for park lead"

"All three designers responded affirmatively to a staff inquiry asking if they would collaborate. All three wanted to be the lead, however."

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O.C. Register, January 6, 2006, posted January 7, 2006
Great Park timeline 

The Register provides a summary of dates in a “chronology of developments in the creation of The Great Park in Irvine”. It begins with the commissioning of the El Toro Marine base in 1943 and projects the park’s early construction steps to 2008. 

We have added this useful compilation to our website library.

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North County Times, January 6, 2006
"Imperial pitches for new airport"

"Imperial County Supervisor Victor Carrillo said construction of a dual-runway airport to handle the region's passenger and cargo needs for decades to come would create a 'major economic engine' for Southern California."

"Imperial officials are also betting that their desire to have the airport will work in their favor. 'There's no place else that wants it,' was how Imperial County Supervisor Joe Maruca put it moments after a presentation to the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority."

"The authority has been working since 2003 to identify a site to build a new airport to serve expected increases in cargo and passenger demand. Lindbergh Field, the nation's busiest single-runway airport prohibited from operating overnight because of its proximity to housing, is forecast to be out of room by 2020 or sooner."

"In November, Imperial County voters overwhelmingly approved an advisory measure that asked if they supported the airport. Nearly 80 percent, or 15,559, said they would, with only 4,061 opposed." 

Website Editor: Palmdale residents have expressed similar desires.

Click for two articles on the Imperial County proposal.

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OC Register, January 5, 2006
"Great Design"

"Responses are due today from the three Great Park design finalists who were asked last month if they could collaborate on designing the project. The Great Park Corp. board struggled to choose among Royston Hamamoto of Mill Valley, EMBT of Barcelona and Ken Smith of New York and decided to explore hiring all three."

The Irvine World News reports "The Great Park Board of Directors hopes to select the master designer for the park on Jan. 23. After that, the Great Park’s manager of engineering, Christina Lo, will oversee the contract negotiations with the design firm. She said it will take at least a month to go over the contractual requirements with the firm, including the scope of work, the fee, the schedule of how long that work will take, and logistics such as the offices of the design firm, the organization structure and the process management. "

"Once the contract is negotiated, a master plan will be made for the park. The planning process will require the master design firm to immediately communicate with EDAW, Lennar Corp.’s designer. Once the plans are developed they will need city approval."

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San Diego 10News.com, January 5, 2006
"Lindbergh Field Flies High In On-Time Rankings"

"Survey Ranks Airports, Lindbergh Field Jumps To Top Of List . . . In a ranking of departure times at major airports, San Diego climbed from 14 to 5 in November-at just under 85 percent on-time."

"Why so timely? Airport officials said it's a combination of good San Diego weather, increased efficiency of airlines and gate management. Because San Diego is the busiest single-runway airport, crews have become adept at coordinating on the ground."

"'We can serve about 48 departures and 48 arrivals every two-hour period in the morning. It becomes an orchestrated ballet,' said Steve Shultz, with the Airport Authority."
Department of Transportation Statistics (DOT) data shows that for the eleven months through November, San Diego climbed from 9th in 2004 to 5th place in 2005. LAX was in 6th place both years for ontime departures.

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El Toro Info Site report, January 4, 2006
Atlanta airport tops O'Hare as nation's busiest: LAX is fourth

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has topped Chicago O'Hare International Airport as the nation's busiest in terms of takeoffs and landings, the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday.

Hartsfield-Jackson finished 2005 with 980,197 takeoffs and landings, while O'Hare was second with 972,246. Dallas-Fort Worth was third in the U.S. in takeoffs and landings in 2005 with 718,291, while Los Angeles International Airport was fourth with 650,539, according to the FAA.

FAA passenger data for the year is not yet available. According to stats we've collected from the airports, LAX leads DFW in passengers served as of the end of October.

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Ontario Daily Bulletin, January 3, 2005
"More travelers, more expansion" 

"Sometime in December, the 7 millionth passenger passed through Ontario International Airport." 

"Reaching 7 million passengers is important, but more significant is that the airport has recorded two straight years of record growth, said Mark Thorpe, director of air service marketing for Los Angeles World Airports, the agency which owns and operates ONT." 

"But what may be even more significant for ONT is how fast the airport will grow in the future." 

"If ONT continues to grow, LAWA executives plan to expand the airport. If the airport serves 10 million passengers per year for two consecutive years, a third terminal will be built." 

"At some point, ONT is expected to reach 30 million passengers and have five terminals." 

Click for more . . .  

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OC Register, January 2, 2006
"Anti-airport group marks its success"
"Staff will hold a Feb. 15 victory party and final meeting before storing paperwork."

"From the beginning, opponents of the airport plan at the El Toro base said they would throw a grand party once the proposal died."

"At last they can. It took a decade [and $24 million] for the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority to achieve its goal - the defeat of an international, commercial airport at the old Marine base, and now a 500-person, invitation-only victory bash is scheduled for Feb. 15 at the Irvine Marriott. About the same time, the anti-airport group will meet a final time, and the coalition of 10 south-county cities then will go into 'hibernation,' said ETRPA spokeswoman Meg Waters." (Photo)

"Last week, Los Angeles World Airports said it has abandoned efforts to secure El Toro as a commercial airport site. . . . With the sale of El Toro lands, the group concluded it has 'no basis' to pursue the old base, and has no plans to bring the issue to the airport commissioners.  '

"Another pro-El Toro airport group, the Airport Working Group, hopes for an El Toro aviation miracle but has said it is directing its efforts to securing an inland airport - most likely at March Air Reserve Base or San Bernardino International Airport."

"Larry Agran, a board member and Irvine councilman, said the Great Park plan would not exist if it were not for ETRPA."

"Activist Hanna Hill [who posts on our message board as Media Watcher] said she wouldn't miss the celebration - her ticket from Minnesota to John Wayne Airport has been purchased."

Click for the entire article.

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OC Register predictions, January 1, 2006
“The Year Ahead - Scaling back a not-so-great park”

Editorial writer Steve Greenhut says "The Great Park was never a great idea, but rather was the only idea south county airport foes could agree upon as a means to stop the hated plan for a mega-airport. This year, the park will face considerable downscaling as it morphs into a smallish park with lots of commercial development."

"Great Park Board members noted that the 1,347-acre park segment probably can't be developed in the 20-year window and probably cannot be built without a massive infusion of tax dollars in the form of grants or bonds."

Website Editor: Physically downsizing to a “smallish” park does not seem in the cards and certainly not before the Irvine city elections in November. Selling park land back to Lennar in 2006 for “commercial development” would create a political stir even if the proceeds are used for park infrastructure. Anyway, Lennar barely will scratch the surface of the 2,119 acres it currently owns so what's the rush?

Any significant change would require a time-consuming new environmental impact report and revisiting of vehicle traffic studies.

Quietly lengthening the time over which the park is built is more likely and will not upset anyone but the "I told you so" crowd. Orange Countians probably will be pleased to see future generations decide - and fund - what amenities meet future residents’ tastes. That's when any "downscaling" might occur but not this year as Greenhut suggests.

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El Toro Info Site report

2005 - THE EL TORO YEAR IN REVIEW

The long fight over El Toro consumed eleven years and over $150 million since voters narrowly approved Measure A in 1994. This year, we finally allow ourselves to believe that it is over. 

Here are a few of the stories that made the El Toro Info Site headlines in 2005. Click here for last year's review and predictions.

JANUARY - The Los Angeles City Council votes to pursue all means including litigation to block a sale of the base. L.A. wants to lease El Toro from the federal government and use it to supplement LAX.

    The Irvine city council startles airport opponents by hiring chief airport advocate Bruce Nestande to provide "strategic advice and assistance".

    Bidding begins in the GSA auction of El Toro.

FEBRUARY - Bidding concludes with Lennar winning all parcels for $649.5 million.

MARCH - GSA accepts Lennar's bid and escrow opens on the El Toro sale.

APRIL - Ten years after quitting the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority, the Board of Supervisors votes to rejoin ETRPA.

MAY - L.A. prepares for but does not file a lawsuit to block the El Toro transfer to private ownership.  The threat subsides when Antonio Villaraigosa unseats Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn, who sought a takeover of El Toro.

    Newport Beach efforts to gain control over John Wayne Airport expansion, cloaked in a package of "sphere issues", appear to fade due to lack of interest from the county.

    Former Irvine Company President Dick Sim resigns from the Great Park Corp board citing disagreements over conduct of the park project. At year end, the board seat remains vacant.

JUNE - Assemblyman Mike Gordon of El Segundo, a leading proponent of a regional airport authority and author of Assembly bill 1197 to create such an authority, dies at the age of 47. His bill stalls in the legislature.

JULY - Escrow closes and the former base is transferred to Lennar. Under a development agreement, Lennar gives Irvine 1,316 acres plus $200 million for park infrastructure.

AUGUST - John Wayne Airport expansion makes the headlines.

SEPTEMBER - Great Park design competition submittals are presented for public comment.

NOVEMBER - Great Park Board members visit parks in Spain, France and the U.S. to evaluate design finalists.

DECEMBER - The Great Park Board fails to reach agreement with Lennar on runway demolition procedures and extends the negotiations to next year.

    The Board also puts off a choice of park master designer until at least January, hoping to use all three finalists.

    John Wayne Airport serves a record number of passengers in 2005 but the number of commercial air carrier flights decline from the previous year's level.

    Five million fewer passengers use LAX this year than in 2000. They choose other regional airports producing a  major post-911 shift in airport utilization.

PREDICTIONS FOR 2006:

The long-anticipated El Toro runway demolition work will commence in mid-year. Irvine will use the occasion to hold a big public celebration and showcase the Great Park.

The park plans will move forward, though behind the original schedule and costing more than expected. There will be little physical evidence of the park in 2006 though an effort will be made to break ground for the sports park section before the November 2006 Irvine city elections.

Efforts to divert much of the region's future air passenger growth from LAX to other airports will generate controversy and sustain lingering wishes for a commercial airport at El Toro. However, the chances for revival of airport plans are too slim. 

Construction will begin on John Wayne airport's expanded terminal and additional gates.  Passengers avoiding LAX will seek more flights at JWA. However, until the expansion is complete, airport management will restrict the number of seats flown to keep passenger utilization at less than the level allowed by the Settlement Agreement.

ETRPA will close up shop in early 2006 and declare victory. The El Toro Info website will wind down as a daily news source but will continue to report on regional airport issues.

Happy New Year.

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Click here for previous news stories