NEWS -  October 2004 

Today's Headlines - click on date for story

Click here for last month's news stories

El Toro Info Site report, October 31, 2004
Agreement reached on Burbank Airport

This week, the Burbank- Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, and the city of Burbank came to an agreement to not expand the airport's terminal anytime in the next 10 years.

Bob Hope Airport handled 4.8 million passengers in the most recent twelve-month period ending September 30, 2004.

In an effort to distribute travel to other airports and cap LAX at 78 MAP, SCAG assigned 10.8 MAP of 2030's predicted regional aviation demand to Bob Hope. The airport primarily serves domestic travelers from Los Angeles County communities north of LAX. The airport's commissioners called the SCAG assumptions employed "neither viable nor realistic".

El Toro Info Site report, October 30, 2004
Regional air traffic up in September

Air traffic at the region's six airports rose by 9.8 % in September compared to the same month last year.

International travel from LAX increased by 12.6% and made up 20 % of the total traffic in the region.

Domestic travel changes from September 2003 were as follows:        

El Toro Info Site report, October 29, 2004
El Toro Sale

Enter "El Toro sale" in a Google search of the entire Web and you may find this E.Bay sponsored listing:

For an artistic view of the action, Google also links to Picasso's El Toro Sale del Toril
This gives us something to contemplate while we wait until January for the real thing.

Ivine World News, October 28, 2004
Conservancy keeping mum on money

Excerpt from "City council scrutinizes apparent bid discrepancy"

"On at least two occasions the council has requested the [Great Park] Conservancy to supply it with an audited financial report including information on donors and payments. The conservancy has said that because it has not done business with the city, it has no obligation to provide that information."

"The conservancy, a non-profit organization established to support the Great Park, is not required by law to disclose information about its finances other than that which is required by the IRS."

"However, some city officials point out that [other] nonprofit organizations that do business with the city are forthcoming with similar information."

LA Daily News, October 27, 2004 posted October 28, 2004
"Airport offers no terminal in a decade"

"BURBANK -- The Bob Hope Airport officially extended an olive branch Wednesday to the city of Burbank, unanimously approving an agreement that would halt construction or even planning of a new terminal for a decade."

"If approved by the Burbank City Council, the agreement would mean a cease-fire in litigation over airport expansion that has cost the airport at least $13 million and the city about $12 million."

Airport Commissioner Chris Holden called the accord "bittersweet," saying  . . . "We've given up a lot: our ability to plan for the air transportation needs of this region."

Click for this and a related LA Times local edition story from October 28.

El Toro Info Site report, October 27, 2004
The Lincoln Club and the Irvine City election

The staunchly Republican Lincoln Club has poured $49,000 into the Irvine City Council campaign on behalf of a slate of Republicans led by Mike Ward seeking to unseat a slate of Democrats led by Larry Agran. Normally that would be the end of the story for us. Conservative Republicans fighting liberal Democrats. Yawn. What's new?

However, as Agran supporters point out, this group of Republicans has a history of aggressively backing an airport at El Toro.  That raises our antennae. George Argyros was, and perhaps still is a member of the Lincoln Club. Club member Doy Henley loaned money to the AWG to try to defeat anti-airport candidates in the City of Orange.

We believe that the Lincoln Club is in this fight for traditional conservative vs. liberal ideological reasons rather than for airport-related goals. Mike Ward, like Agran, is solidly anti-airport and unlikely to shift gears on this issue to accommodate his financial supporters. The Lincoln Club contributed $40,000 in 1990 to unseat Agran from the council, years before El Toro was on the radar screen. Still, politics does make strange bedfellows.

El Toro Info Site report, October 26, 2004
Great Park Symposium

On Thursday, October 28, at 7 p.m. the fifth Great Park Symposium will be conducted at Irvine City Hall, Council Chambers, One Civic Center Plaza in Irvine.  Admission is free of charge and open to all.

The guest speaker will be Paul Schimmel.  Mr. Schimmel is a world-renowned expert on art and the presentation of art in museums, parks and other public spaces.  He has been Chief Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, since 1990 prior to which he was Chief Curator/Curator of Exhibitions and Collections at the Newport Harbor Art Museum (now Orange County Museum of Art) in Newport Beach, California.

For more information about the Great Park and this event, go to the website of the city of Irvine and the Great Park Corp. http://greatpark.ci.irvine.ca.us

El Toro Info Site report, October 25, 2004
Mears levels more accusations at Agran re Great Park

As a matter of long standing policy, this website will not take sides in the bitter controversy between Irvine Councilman Chris Mears and his former political ally, Mayor Larry Agran. City politics is not our issue and besides, we have no way to verify most of what is said. Mears' latest accusatory letter, if true, casts dark clouds over the Great Park project, and that does concern us.

In a letter received this weekend, Mears writes of a 2003 plan between Agran and himself. "Our plan was that I would run for Mayor . . . which would free Larry to leave the council and do what he had wanted to do for some time; become the highly paid Executive Director of the Great Park Conservancy . . . with the Conservancy paying Larry a couple of hundred thousand dollars a year."  Mears opted not to run for Mayor.

As we understand the original plan, the pro-Agran city council would transfer development responsibilities and funds to the Conservancy to create the job. However, under the adopted arrangement, the management of the park will be handled by the public Great Park Corporation and not by the private Conservancy. The Board of the GPC has already initiated a professional search for a Chief Executive.

Mears' letter also alleges dealings between Agran and OC Democratic Party Chairman Frank Barbaro. "He approached me [days ago] to support prevailing wage union contracts for the Great Park and I refused. To go along with the Barbaro/Agran union plan would transfer $90 million dollars available for sports parks and other amenities for [higher] union wages."

In a related matter, the Irvine City Council will receive a city staff report at its meeting Tuesday, requested by Councilmember Christina Shea, on certain businesses with "Great Park" in their names and on contributions to the Great Park Conservancy. The staff report is not posted online with the Council agenda.

El Toro Info Site report, October 24, 2004
Treading water while waiting for the auction to begin.
Now its NPB's turn

We recently poked fun at unnamed South County candidates who aggrandize their anti-El Toro efforts for political gain. The response from readers was overwhelmingly - but not 100 percent - favorable. One displeased candidate, perhaps sensing that the shoe fit, emailed a rebuttal favorably recollecting her contributions made to the cause.

In fairness to both sides, we've gone back into our archives to dig up campaign ideas for Newport Beach (and Costa Mesa) politicians to use. Click here for some tongue-in-cheek help for them on How to Beef up your "No JWA Expansion" Resume.

El Toro Info Site Report, October 22, 2004
Courtney is coming back

Courtney C. Wiercioch will be returning to her old job as Deputy Airport Director for Public Affairs at John Wayne Airport.

She left JWA to become the County's El Toro Program Manager during the turbulent Measure F/ Flight Demo days that precipitated the downfall of the airport program. She left that position in 1999 during a pregnancy. Wiercioch was succeeded as program manager by Michael Lapin, Rob Richardson and Gary Simon.

OC Register, October 22, 2004 - updated
"Navy to auction El Toro parcels"

"Development of the land at the old El Toro base moved one step closer Thursday when the Navy announced that it will begin auctioning the land in January."

"The 3,720 acres will be sold in four parcels at the same time in an online public auction. It's possible that one company could purchase all four pieces."

Website Editor: The announcement originally was made earlier this month but it is good to see it make the newspaper. The Register was responding to an October 21 press release.

El Toro Info Site report, October 21, 2004
ALUC still unbending on El Toro

Two members of the Airport Land Use Commission said this evening that they still see the possibility of an airport at El Toro. The ALUC commissioners made the city of Aliso Viejo jump through hoops over El Toro and stalled a request from two county Supervisors to plan for dismantling the obsolete land use restrictions around the former airbase.

Aliso Viejo submitted a Specific Plan Amendment to the ALUC for approval of a housing development on Glenwood Drive between Moulton Parkway and Aliso Creek Road. The project is within the obsolete 65-dB noise impact zone for the former MCAS El Toro, based on data gathered by the Marines in 1976-9.

Following the staff's recommendation, commissioner found the project "inconsistent" with the El Toro Airport Environs Land Use Plan, AELUP. The AV City Council now must override the action and begin a 45-day public hearing period before the project can proceed. In our view, the city should have shown more backbone, refused to submit the project to ALUC, and challenged the commissioners to sue. ALUC is unlikely to take its irrational position to court.

The city of Santa Ana recently withdrew a project from ALUC consideration after complaining about the review process.

Responding to the supervisors' request, ALUC Executive Director Joan Golding said the staff was "booked solid" with other "priorities" in preparation for ALUC's November and December meetings. Under questioning by commission members, she estimated that rescinding of the restrictions might require 8 man-hours of staff work, "maybe twice that."

Newport Beach City Manager Homer Bludau moved that the staff prepare a work plan for removing the El Toro AELUP and bring it to the January meeting. His delaying motion carried.

LA Times, October 21, 2004
"Council Backs LAX Project"

"After a decade of debate and millions of dollars in studies, the [Los Angeles] City Council signed off Wednesday on an $11-billion plan to modernize Los Angeles International Airport that would move runways, build new terminals, install people movers and construct a central check-in facility."

"The most ambitious remake in the airport's 75-year history could start next year and take at least 10 years to complete."

"The plan still needs the approval of federal aviation officials and will almost certainly draw lawsuits from ardent opponents who believe that it will worsen traffic and noise at the world's fifth-busiest airport."

"The compromise splits the project into two phases. The most controversial elements — including a new check-in center in Westchester that has drawn heated opposition — would come in a second phase that would require additional studies before construction."

Click for the entire Times article plus a Daily Breeze report with more details on the plan.

The Daily Breeze writes that the Council overrode opposition from LA County, the LA Airport Land Use Commission and the City of El Segundo. Airport officials "revealed they are willing to spend $500 million as part of a ground-breaking agreement to provide certain benefits to airport area communities and schools that are impacted by the LAX modernization."

Daily Pilot, October 20, 2004
OC "Supervisors approve airport expansion report"

John Wayne Airport "officials will move forward with detailed design and architectural plans for a new passenger terminal and other facility expansions now that the Orange County Board of Supervisors has approved an environmental report for the project."

"In May, the airport opened three new gates in a temporary terminal to handle short commuter flights. A second temporary terminal is set to open before Thanksgiving, and both will be removed in three to five years when new permanent facilities are completed."

"The construction of a permanent, three-level, 320,000-square-foot terminal, expected to handle 35% of future airport traffic, will add six gates, increasing the number of gates from 14 to 20. A multi-level parking facility will add up to 3,200 parking spaces."

Click for the article.

Website Editor: John Wayne Airport is the second busiest in the Greater Los Angeles region after LAX where a major remodel is proposed to reduce the number of passenger gates.

LA Times, October 19, 2004
"L.A., El Segundo Close In on Deal to Limit Growth at LAX"
"Pact is needed if Hahn's airport plan is to work, but an FAA spokesman questions its legality."

"Los Angeles and El Segundo are close to reaching a legal agreement that would limit growth at Los Angeles International Airport to 78.9 million annual passengers until 2015."

"It remains unclear, however, whether the Federal Aviation Administration would approve such a deal . . .. The FAA . . . was not invited to participate [in negotiations]. Also not participating: Los Angeles World Airports, the city's airport agency; airlines that serve LAX; and the Airport Commission."

"'This sounds like it would be illegal and it would not fly,' said Donn Walker, an FAA spokesman. 'Airports in general can't limit the number of annual passengers.'" Website Editor: Long Beach and John Wayne were grandfathered in prior to passage of the 1990 Airport Noise and Capacity Act.

Click for the entire Times article.

In a related story, the Daily Breeze reports that two Los Angeles County supervisors called on the FAA to delay any decision on the plan "until after any lawsuits and procedural challenges have been resolved."

LA Times, October 19, 2004
"Groundwork Laid for Developing El Toro"
 
"The city of Irvine has approved general guidelines of a redevelopment zone for the closed El Toro Marine base that could provide as much as $978 million to turn it into a complex of parks, homes and businesses."

"The money will come from borrowing against tax increments over the next 30 to 45 years that Irvine officials expect the 3,700-acre facility to generate once it is redeveloped and property values rise."

"According to the city's plan, the redevelopment agency would be able to borrow a maximum of $2 billion over the life of the redevelopment zone."

Click here for the entire article.

El Toro Info Site report, October 17, 2005
March air base in the spotlight

March Inland Port, the commercial name for the former heavy bomber base in Riverside, has the longest runways in California. Will March live up to its aviation potential or become stalemated between resistant residents and development minded officials?

SCAG expects March to serve up to 8 million annual passengers in 2030 - about what John Wayne handled last year. San Diego County has March on its short list of possible sites for a new passenger airport to augment or replace Lindbergh Field. Some see March as a logical place to accommodate Orange County's aviation growth.

The only problem is that the base has growing numbers of residential neighbors who want their say in the matter. The Inland Empire Press-Enterprise reports concern over encroachment around March.  Some homeowners object to a commercial airport with arguments suggestive of a mini El Toro conflict. Meanwhile, officials at San Bernardino International Airport hope to land a regional DHL air cargo site noting that "We don't have the community opposition there is over at March."

March's destiny also takes a back seat to Ontario Airport where Los Angeles World Airports plans to more than quadruple passenger capacity. There are questions whether four proposed new airports - at March, San Bernardino, Southern California Logistics in Victorville and Palmdale - will find enough business for all to become viable major airports.

El Toro Info Site report, October 15, 2004
Eight years of El Toro reporting. Is the end in sight?

The first news story on this website was datelined October 15, 1996. We never expected to still be at it after all this time.

A year ago, we wrote "Next year at this time, let's hope the El Toro controversy is settled, the land is all in private hands, and we can kick back . . ."  Since then, the annexation into Irvine concluded pretty much on schedule. All the AWG lawsuits were settled without delaying the process. Still, for reasons that are often unfathonable, and generally seem to be beyond the control of anyone in Orange County, we are not there yet.

Click here for the index to our eight-year website news archive.  Click here for a brief Chronology of the war over El Toro from Internet for Activists. Hopefully, the saga will end before we run out of words or space.

Daily Pilot, October 14, 2004
"A use, of sorts, for El Toro"

"After trying since the base closed in 1999 to get the military to reopen housing at El Toro, military family advocate Ken Lee is optimistic that it could happen. Rep. Chris Cox helped facilitate a meeting last week between Lee and top Defense Department officials, who were 'very receptive to our offer,' Lee said."

"Lee's group will work with Tustin-based Affordable Housing Resources to make a formal offer for the housing in the next few weeks, but Lee said he does not know what the financial terms will be."  Click for more . . .

Website Editor: Airport opponents see Lee's proposal as a monkey wrench that would add further delay to the start of the El Toro sale. It fits with the hopes of diehard airport proponents who need time to try to upset local zoning of the land.

OC Register, October 13, 2004
"Now you, too, can be an El Toro airport foe"

Tongue-in-cheek columnist Frank Mickadeit apparently liked our October 8 tongue-in-cheek piece on the subject of South County candidates claiming to have helped defeat the El Toro airport and ran much of it today.

He writes "Politicians who claim to have been on the front lines of the anti-El Toro airport movement might soon outnumber those who claim to have marched with Martin Luther King."

"One of the true anti-El Toro leaders, Len Kranser (who is not running for office), says so many south-county candidates with dubious credentials are popping up that he's deluged with people wanting to know the truth."

All this comes on a day when I offered Ron Steinbach a much-deserved anti-airport hero's credential for only $1.95 shipping and handling.

OC Register, October 13, 2004
"Group aims to persuade Navy to sell El Toro housing villages"

"A Tustin-based operator of low-income housing projects and a longtime proponent of reopening the old El Toro commissary are teaming in an effort to persuade the Navy to sell them the old housing villages on the base."

"Ken Lee, a spokesman for OCMil.com, and David Rose, president of Affordable Housing Resources, want to rehabilitate the 5,500 family and bachelor quarters on the old base and then rent them to military and low-income civilian families."

"Lee and Rose are preparing a formal offer to the Navy and expect to present it within two weeks, Lee said. If the project is approved, it would alter the dynamic for the Great Park, the proposed mix of wilderness areas, athletic fields, museums, schools, shops, farms and housing planned for the 4,700-acre base."

"'Conceivable but incredibly complex and unlikely' was Irvine Mayor Larry Agran's assessment of the housing plan." Click for more. . . 

Great Park Conservancy website, October 12, 2004
Dr. Michael Brown to Present Green Building Principles at Community Forum

"The Conservancy has invited Dr. Michael Brown, an expert in sustainable development, to present his vision for the Orange County Great Park. This event will take place at the Aliso Viejo Library on October 13th at 7p.m. This presentation will be similar to the Great Park [Corp] Symposium #4 that was held at Irvine City Hall on August 26th."

Call 714.544.5410 for more information.

LA Times, October 11, 2004
"Rivals Reject Hahn's LAX Plan"

"Mayor James K. Hahn's controversial plan to modernize Los Angeles International Airport has picked up more opposition: The four top candidates running against him now say it's a bad idea."

"'This plan doesn't do enough to address the security concerns of the state's No. 1 terrorist target,' [former Assembly Speaker Bob] Hertzberg said in a statement. 'Nor does it take the necessary regional approach to air transportation.'"

"The three candidates running to replace retiring Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, who is the chief architect of an eleventh-hour compromise to rescue the plan, also oppose it."

"In the 2001 mayoral campaign, all six top candidates opposed Mayor Richard Riordan's $12-billion LAX expansion plan. The 2001 candidates even went so far as to sign a pledge promising to limit the airport to 78 million passengers each year."

Click for more . . .

An LA Daily News editorial says "the price [of the airport project has already] jumped to $11 billion."

El Toro Info Site report, October 9, 2004
Local use of JWA overstated by Registrar

An October 5 news story about voting at John Wayne Airport erroneously stated "Studies show that about 65 percent of the passengers using John Wayne are Orange County residents." The statement was attributed to the Registrar of Voters' office.

Our data shows that only 41 percent of passengers at JWA live in Orange County. Most of the travelers using the local airport are visitors. We confirmed with John Wayne Public Information that our numbers were the most current available.

The Registrars' office subsequently responded to our inquiry on the subject and said that the 65 percent figure was some sort of an estimate. Website Editor: A hanging passenger chad?

John Wayne is the second busiest airport in the Greater Los Angeles area and serves large numbers of business visitors and tourists.

El Toro Info Site commentary, October 8, 2004
On a lighter note

Posters to our message board frequently gripe about candidates for elected office in South County, overstating their contributions as El Toro Airport fighters. Others phone asking "Hey Len, Do you ever remember [so and so] doing anything during the campaign? I sure don't."

We applaud the thousands of citizens who helped win the victory, but some candidates now are inflating their roles for political purposes.

Several anti-airport leaders have put their acquired campaign skills to work as paid political consultants. They even write letters aggrandizing their candidates' contributions to the anti-airport cause.

In order to level the playing field for those who have failed to snare paid endorsements, we offer our very tongue-in-cheek solution. Click for GET YOUR ANTI-EL TORO AIRPORT CREDENTIALS HERE.

El Toro Info Site report, October 7, 2004
Supervisors ask ALUC to get with the program

Supervisors Tom Wilson and Bill Campbell sent a letter yesterday to the Airport Land Use Commission asking for the prompt rescinding of airport-related land use restrictions around El Toro.

The letter notes that the commission has "stated that ALUC will follow the same process for removing the Airport Environs Land Use Plan at the former MCAS, El Toro as was followed with MCAS, Tustin."

Given that the Navy has signed Findings of Suitability for Transfer and is expected to issue Invitations for Bids in November "it would be appropriate for your commission to direct ALUC staff to prepare a work plan and timetable for rescinding the El Toro AELUP."

"Removing the El Toro AELUP will save the Commission, its taxpayer-funded staff, and the neighboring cities valuable time and money now spent on reviewing projects in the El Toro environs. It will speed the process of creating new jobs and putting new developments onto the tax rolls."

El Toro Info Site report, October 7, 2004
Sale dates discussed

Announced schedules for the El Toro sale have been missed several times. It is no wonder that officials are reluctant to pin themselves down too closely anymore.

The latest announcement below is the first to specify the months when action would take place.

We hear from informed sources that the Invitations for Bids may be out on November 2 and the bidding will begin on January 4 or 5, right after the holidays. There are a few i's to dot and t's to cross in the documents. We hope that is it.

Heritage Fields Announcement, October 6, 2004
"THE FORMER MCAS EL TORO IS PRIMED FOR PUBLIC ONLINE AUCTION"

The Department of the Navy, the U.S. General Services Administration and Colliers Seeley International, are pleased to announce the sale of Heritage Fields!

All four parcels of the former 3,700+ acre former MCAS El Toro will be sold concurrently via a public online auction commencing in January 2005. The anticipated schedule is as follows:

The IFB will provide the sale terms and conditions including online auction instructions, opening bid amounts and registration requirements. Once the online auction has started, bids may be delivered by mail, fax or via the Internet at the GSA’s auction website www.auctionrp.com. All potential bidders and other interested parties are encouraged to register at the project website, www.HeritageFields.com, to receive additional information and updates on a regular basis via e-mail notification. Auction related information will be posted on the project website as well as through the GSA auction site at www.auctionrp.com. Stay tuned for an update on the planned auction sale seminars will provide potential bidders the opportunity to learn more about the property and online auction platform utilization.