NEWS - December 2004

Today's Headlines - click on date for story

El Toro Info Site report
2004 - THE EL TORO YEAR IN REVIEW


El Toro Info Site report, December 31, 2004
Two more working days till . . .


Irvine World News, December 30, 2004
"Great Park has business plan for initial revenue"


El Toro Info Site report, December 28, 2004
Who will lead the Board of Supervisors?

El Toro Info Site report, December 27, 2004
Measuring OCRAA

CNN.com, December 25, 2004
"Travelers battle airline chaos"

LA Times, December 24, 2004
"U.S. Funds Tunnel Study"

El Toro Info Site report, December 23, 2004
Agran selected to chair Great Park Corporation

LA Times, December 23, 2004
"Fullerton Council Backs El Toro Bid"

LA Times, December 22, 2004
"Rivals Fire at Hahn's Record"

El Toro Info Site report, December 21, 2004
Fullerton Council sticks to pro-airport position, 3-2

El Toro Info Site report, December 21, 2004 - updated
Meetings of interest today - BOS action against the PLA

El Toro Info Site report, December 18, 2004
Supervisor Smith's final newsletter is troubling

El Toro Info Site report, December 17, 2004
Congressman Miller weighs in against Fullerton proposal

Coastline News, December 17, 2004
"El Toro fight rolls on"

El Toro Info Site report, December 17, 2004
Fullerton seeks to rectify blunder

El Toro Info Site report, December 16, 2004
ALUC stalls supervisors' El Toro request

OC Register, December 15, 2004
"Airport backers refuse to be grounded"

OC Register, December 14, 2004 - Late breaking
"County guards against airport revival"

LA Times, December 14, 2004
"DHL Picks March Base as New Hub"

El Toro Info Site report, December 13, 2004
Supervisors respond to Fullerton tactic

Los Angeles Daily News, December 13, 2004
[LA Mayoral Candidate] "Alarcon wants new major airport . . . proposes creating countywide agency"

El Toro Info Site report, December 12, 2004 - updated
More on the "bizarre" Fullerton story

El Toro Info Site report, December 10, 2004
The Fullerton caper

OC Register, December 9, 2004
"Fullerton pursues airport at El Toro"

LA Times, December 8, 2004
"LAX Project Advances Amid Storm Clouds"

LA Times, December 8, 2004
"Bid Would Open El Toro Housing"

LA Times, December 7, 2004
$499.5 Million to Make LAX a Good Neighbor

El Toro Info Site report, December 3, 2004
The pro-airport insurgency

El Toro Info Site Report, December 2, 2004
Five years ago - a crucial event

El Toro Info Site report, December 2, 2004

LA County fights LA City for limits on LAX

El Toro Info Site report, December 1, 2004
The tip of the iceberg

Click here for last month's news stories


El Toro Info Site report
2004 - THE EL TORO YEAR IN REVIEW


The long fight over El Toro has consumed ten years since 1994 when Measure A was narrowly approved by voters and headed the former military base towards commercial aviation reuse. After three more ballot measures, the battle continues but El Toro moves closer to a non-aviation future.

Here are a few of the stories that made the El Toro Info Site headlines this year.

JANUARY - Irvine receives final Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) approval to annex the El Toro property and bring it under city Great Park zoning.

FEBRUARY - ETRPA and the Airport Working Group reach a "global settlement" ending several lawsuits including the last challenge to anti-airport Measure W.

APRIL - The Southern California Association of Governments, SCAG adopts a 2004 Regional Transportation Plan, omitting El Toro airport.

MAY - The Navy temporarily switches gears and announces that El Toro will be sold piecemeal rather than in one auction.

JUNE - Los Angeles World Airport releases a long-awaited 2001 passenger study revealing that 9.9 percent of passengers at LAX were visitors or residents going to or from Orange County. This supports the website's estimates of OC passenger volume and debunks higher claims by El Toro proponents.

The Airport Working Group ends its unsuccessful litigation against the Irvine annexation.

The Board of Supervisors removes Supervisor Chuck Smith as the County representative to SCAG for supporting a proposal to put El Toro under Los Angeles control.

JULY - Newport Beach efforts to buy John Wayne Airport gets a cool reception from supervisors.

AUGUST - The Navy again shifts gears and decides to sell the entire base at one auction.

        The business of providing trees for the Great Park becomes a big campaign issue in the Irvine election.

SEPTEMBER - A "consensus plan" for modernizing LAX emerges but the airlines and FAA withhold comment on limiting the airport's passenger capacity. Controversy over the LAX plan fuels renewed discussion of El Toro as part of a "regional airport solution".

OCTOBER - The federal government announces that the El Toro auction will begin in January 2005 with close of escrow by July.

NOVEMBER - Invitations for Bids are released for the El Toro sale. Minimum opening bid is set at $525 million.

        There is renewed talk of a state-mandated regional airport authority with power to force a commercial airport at El Toro.         A former El Segundo mayor, Los Angeles City, LA County and SCAG officials are considering the proposal.

DECEMBER - State Senator Alarcon introduces a regional airport bill.

        Fullerton asks the Secretary of Transportation to allow the city to run El Toro airport. It’s a bad idea that goes nowhere.

        Board of Supervisors rescinds the old El Toro Environmental Impact Reports and begins to raise defenses against regional         intrusion in OC's land use control.

PREDICTIONS FOR 2005:

The El Toro auctions begins. However, transfer of title to the property and removal of the Airport Land Use Commission's development restrictions around the base will drag on.

It will be several years before anything substantial enough to block an airport is built at El Toro. Pro-airport forces will use the time to attempt final resuscitation of the project.

Efforts to divert much of the region's future air passenger growth from LAX to other airports will fuel the drive for a commercial airport at El Toro. Political leaders from Los Angeles, with some Orange County support, will push legislation for an airport under Los Angeles control. 

If state legislation creating such a regional authority passes, and is signed by the Governor, the El Toro fight will continue indefinitely.

Otherwise, the war will be over. ETRPA will close up shop. The El Toro Info website will wind down as a daily news source. Happy New Year.


El Toro Info Site report, December 31, 2004
Two more working days till . . .

It is two more working days and counting down till the start of the El Toro sale . . . probably less taking off for a New Year's eve holiday. Beginning the auction marks a hugely important milestone in the anti-airport effort.

Airport proponents hoped to prevent the sale and see the El Toro property turned over to the Department of Transportation. Under the schemes put forth - by Los Angeles last year and Fullerton/OCRAA this year - the DOT would own and rent the former base to an airport operator.

For airport proponents, renting has major benefits. Most obviously, it removes the need to quickly raise about a billion dollars to buy the former base. Los Angeles could do it.  Fullerton could not. 

Perhaps more importantly, El Toro would remain federal property. Irvine and Orange County non-aviation restrictions would not apply. Great Park zoning and Measure W would become largely moot. Furthermore, ALUC airport-related land use rules on development around the property would stay in place.

Next week's start of the sale effectively kills these hopes. The fat lady will start to sing but she still must finish the song. In coming days we will review the events of the past year and examine the still viable - but dwindling - options left to airport proponents in 2005. Happy New Year. Len.


Irvine World News, December 30, 2004
"Great Park has business plan for initial revenue"

"Fees ranging from $2 per parked car to $200 million per developer will go toward building the Great Park during its initial years, according to the draft business plan presented by the Great Park Corp."

"The plan also describes an operating budget of $15 million after five years, an executive staff of nine people and various revenue generators."

"The draft plan also suggests that the board consider privatizing the sports park by allowing various leagues to assume the operating costs of a particular field in exchange for control of that field."

"A formal park needs study is planned for summer and the completion of the design of the park is expected by December. Work on the park would begin in early 2006."  Click for the entire article.


El Toro Info Site report, December 28, 2004
Who will lead the Board of Supervisors?

2005 will be a crucial year in the redevelopment of El Toro. We look forward to the start of the Navy auction, cleanup of the property, its transfer to the tax rolls, and progress toward building a great non-airport asset for Orange County residents.

2005 also will bring a final attack on the will of local voters by backers of an airport. As we observe this last ditch assault - getting underway in both Washington and Sacramento - one question hangs heavily in the air. Who will lead the Orange County Board of Supervisors' defense?

The next Chairman of the BOS - elected on January 4 - will articulate the county's position when the state legislature debates the merits of a regional airport authority - and whether it should have power to override local zoning. If a regional authority is established, the Board's Chairman may be key in appointing Orange County's representatives. He will nominate our Southern California Association of Governments, SCAG rep and Airport Land Use Commission, ALUC members. The Chairman will direct the Board's agenda as it grapples with the regional threat to local control.

More than a year ago, this website cautioned against reelecting airport advocate Jim Silva to be vice-chairman of the Board and next in line for the chair. However, his colleagues stuck with him in January 2004.

Silva does not represent the will of the voters of this county. He signed a 2003 letter to Transportation Secretary Mineta endorsing the turnover of El Toro to Los Angeles to be run as an adjunct to LAX. This month, he voted against rescinding the environmental studies for an airport.

We hope that Supervisors Bill Campbell, Chris Norby, and Tom Wilson will unite behind an anti-El Toro airport leader. Continued anti-airport control of the Board is essential to protecting the victory that the three supervisors and the people of this county worked so hard to achieve.


El Toro Info Site report, December 27, 2004
Measuring OCRAA

The letterhead of the Orange County Regional Airport Authority, OCRAA lists 10 "member" cities, down from 14 in 2003. Meetings are not held on a regular schedule because of OCRAA's difficulty in attracting a quorum. At most, 6 or 7 reps show up.

Last year, only 4 cities - Costa Mesa, Cypress, Seal Beach and Villa Park - paid dues. Founding member, Newport Beach seemingly has stopped attending or contributing money.

Documents obtained by this website through the California Public Records Act show that in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2004, the organization raised only $25,200, and tapped its dwindling reserves to pay Executive Director, Jack Wagner's $40,000 salary.

None of this stops OCRAA from portraying itself as a serious joint powers authority and passing resolutions endorsing an airport at El Toro run by either LAX or Fullerton Municipal Airport . . . take your choice.


CNN.com, December 25, 2004
"Travelers battle airline chaos"

"Tens of thousands of travelers spent Christmas in an airport, as Comair canceled all of its flights and many US Airways passengers waited to be reunited with their luggage."

"Comair . . . called off all 1,160 daily flights for both Saturday and Sunday. The computer system Comair uses to book pilots for flights broke down, [a spokesman] said."

"US Airways said Saturday that so many travelers had been separated from their luggage that the company transferred bags between hubs by flying jets filled [just] with suitcases."

"In addition to severe weather across much of the country Thursday, a 'record' large numbers of flight attendants and baggage handlers at Philadelphia International Airport called in sick Friday."

Website Editor: Major flight delays are usually attributed to poor weather, labor problems, security breaches, air traffic control failures, and computer glitches. Lack of airports or runways might join the list of bottlenecks someday but other factors generally limit system capacity today.


LA Times, December 24, 2004
"U.S. Funds Tunnel Study"

"A controversial idea to build a commuter tunnel under the Santa Ana Mountains connecting Orange and Riverside counties will continue to be studied, thanks to $2 million from the federal government."

"The burst of federal funds should help keep alive the idea of building another traffic route between the counties, said Bill Vardoulis, a private Irvine civil engineer who for the past five years has pushed for three 11-mile tunnels - one in each direction for cars, and one for trucks and utilities - from Highway 133 in Irvine to Cajalco Road at Interstate 15 in Corona.

"The money was included by Rep. Chris Cox (R-Newport Beach) in a $388-billion overall spending bill for the balance of fiscal year 2005, which began Oct. 1."

"Cox said the money was a down payment on $14 million included in a pending transportation bill for a comprehensive study of a bi-county tunnel. Costs include work by the Army Corps of Engineers to determine suitable locations for one or more tunnels linking Orange County to an airport on the other side of the Santa Ana Mountains, possibly March Air Reserve Base or a new airport site."

Click for the entire article.


El Toro Info Site report, December 23, 2004 - revised
Agran selected to chair Great Park Corporation

The Irvine World News reports today on changes in the organization for the Great Park Corp, which will run the non-aviation redevelopment of El Toro. Former Mayor Larry Agran was selected to become chairman of the GPC, replacing former councilman Chris Mears. 

This website hopes that Agran's overlapping control of the Irvine City Council, the public Great Park Corporation and the private Great Park Conservancy will be administered employing the highest possible standards for making financial transactions transparent to the public. Agran's opponents in the recent bitter city election campaign questioned whether this would be the case but the voters expressed their confidence in him through the democratic process.

On the very positive side, we can think of no one more committed than Larry Agran to utilizing the city's resources to advance the park project and to oppose any attempted reactivation of El Toro airport plans.


LA Times, December 23, 2004
"Fullerton Council Backs El Toro Bid"

Website Editor: The Times provides a brief report on Fullerton's proposal to Transportation Secretary Mineta - that the city take over operating an airport at El Toro. An FAA comment stops far short of supplying either the clear "yes" or "no" answer that the pro- and anti-airport sides might like to find in their Christmas stockings.
 
"We are generally in support of increasing aviation capacity," Department of Transportation spokesman Brian Turmail said Wednesday. "But we have deferred [the decision on El Toro] to the will of the local community. Having said that, we will take a very close look at the [Fullerton's] resolution."

Airport opponents hope that the Department of Transportation maintains the position expressed in a July 22, 2003 letter from Secretary Mineta to Congressman Chris Cox. That letter explained the department's rejection of a much more credible request from the city of Los Angeles to operate El Toro. "We have no plans to interrupt the Navy's process."

Meanwhile, the clock is running out on efforts to derail the Navy's scheduled January 5 start of the land sale.


LA Times, December 22, 2004 - revised
"Rivals Fire at Hahn's Record"
"Challengers accuse incumbent of only protecting environment when forced to do so."

"Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn came under fire for dragging his feet on everything from cleaning up the port to fixing intersections as the five leading mayoral candidates squared off Tuesday at a rambunctious environmental debate."

"All the challengers attacked Hahn's $11-billion Los Angeles International Airport modernization plan for failing to advance a regional airport plan that would shift traffic to other airports in Southern California, such as the city's airports in Palmdale and Ontario."

"The mayor fired back that his plan to increase public transit to and from the airport would relieve traffic and improve air quality, and he said that he still would like to see a regional plan."

"Hahn said he would even like to revisit the highly controversial idea of turning the former military airfield at El Toro in Orange County into a commercial airport." 

Website Editor: We cringe to see this important issue becoming a mayoral campaign football about winning votes in communities near LAX rather than about where aviation capacity is needed.  How politically convenient it is to promote an airport someplace where the impacted citizens can't vote in the mayor's election.

"The Daily Breeze reports that candidate State Senator Alarcon criticized Hahn's LAX plan, saying the city should instead build a brand-new airport elsewhere in the county."


El Toro Info Site report, December 21, 2004 - updated
Fullerton Council sticks to pro-airport position, 3-2

With County Supervisor Chris Norby, Irvine Mayor Beth Krom, ETRPA consultant Meg Waters and Fullerton residents attacking the absurd idea of Fullerton running an operation at El Toro, diehards on the city council voted 3-2 to stick with their original position.

Current Mayor Nelson and Council member Quirk voted against it, saying that El Toro was neither in the best interests of Fullerton nor specifically any of Fullerton's business.

Speakers were unable to convince the three pro-airport councilmen -Wilson, Jones and Bankhead - that the city could neither fund nor handle a project of this magnitude. It also has no business trying to impose an airport on another city, Irvine.

The meeting demonstrated how three self-important local politicians, from just one of the county's 34 cities, can try to push their own pet interests ahead of those of the majority of county voters and the county Board of Supervisors.

Fullerton has enough problems operating its municipal airport.
 
OCRAA, the Airport Working Group, and Charles Griffin from Newport Beach spoke for the pro-airport side.

Click for more from the OC Register.


El Toro Info Site report, December 21, 2004 - updated
Meetings of interest today - BOS action against the PLA

This morning, the Board of Supervisors gave notice that the county would not extend the Project Labor Agreement (PLA) that was approved on January 11, 2000.  Supervisors Smith, Silva, and Coad originally approved the PLA that was widely regarded as a deal to buy union support for the El Toro Airport project.

Approximately three dozen speakers, most union representatives spoke for the PLA. Several contractors opposed it saying that it had cost the county money. Only one directly mentioned that the agreement was a "political decision to help get union support for the airport."

Supervisor Chuck Smith, attending his final board meeting, urged his colleagues to delay action and give the matter more study.

Supervisor Wilson responded that the original agreement was approved without analysis and that his request for study prior to the PLA's passage in 2000 was denied. Supervisor Norby noted that his review of the action, which occurred prior to his joining the board, confirmed Wilson's position that "it was rushed through in the first place."

The decision not to extend the PLA was approved 4-1 with Smith objecting and Supervisor Silva providing a convoluted explanation for reversing his earlier stand.

This afternoon at 4 PM, the Fullerton City Council seeks to correct outgoing Mayor Mike Clesceri's blunder when he fired off an unauthorized December 7 letter to Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta during his last hours in office. The Council will revisit the matter, accept public comments and vote in the open as required by state law.


El Toro Info Site report, December 18, 2004 - revised
Supervisor Smith's final newsletter is troubling

Outgoing Supervisor Chuck Smith sent his final First District newsletter containing this troubling prophetic message on transportation: (Emphasis added)

The El Toro issue has not been resolved so long as Orange County is unable to meet the need for accessible international transport of products and passengers.  The FAA and neighboring cities and counties will be part of the process of determining where new airport facilities will be located.

Smith has continued meeting with pro-airport officials and is expected to remain a player in Los Angeles efforts to run a regional airport authority. More than two years ago, this website warned that some "in Orange County are allying themselves with those who would turn this county into LA's colony."

Last year, Smith - and fellow pro-El Toro diehard Jim Silva - supported LA's attempt to takeover El Toro. This week, the duo opposed placing the county's lobbyists on guard against renewed threats to local control.


El Toro Info Site report, December 17, 2004
Congressman Miller weighs in against Fullerton proposal

Congressman Gary Miller (R-42) wrote to Transportation Secretary Mineta on December 15 decrying the Fullerton airport proposal for El Toro and "urging [Mineta] to reject this request." Miller represents several inland Orange and Los Angeles cities. He is a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Miller wrote, "I can think of nothing more undemocratic than allowing the fate of local communities be determined against their will."


Coastline News, December 17, 2004
"El Toro fight rolls on"
"Talk of creating an airport on old Marine air station not quite dead yet."

The Laguna Beach paper has put together an article and editorial that provide a very good summary of news and cautionary opinions that we have been posting on this page and the website message board in recent weeks.

"'It's not over until the fat lady sings - and I am the fat lady,' said LB Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman, who represents the city on the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority."

"The authority met at a special meeting Monday night in Irvine. A closed session was held to discuss the initiation of potential litigation but no action was reported."

"'There are some very serious threats on the horizon,' said Kinsman, who has urged continued vigilance by opponents of the airport and has fought attempts to cut the city's financial support to the authority."

Kinsman notes Orange County pro-airport efforts but says, "Los Angeles, which would dearly love to offload some of its flights to an international airport in Orange County, poses a much bigger threat."

"There . . . has been speculation that L.A. would bid on the El Toro property, according to the reuse authority's executive director Paul Eckles."

"'We are monitoring that,' Eckles said. 'L.A. has a lot of money and it already owns Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County and airports in Palmdale and Van Nuys.'"

Website Editor: A Los Angeles purchase of El Toro, either in the auction or subsequently from the successful bidders, would then be coupled with state legislation to override Measure W and Irvine park zoning.


El Toro Info Site report, December 17, 2004
Fullerton seeks to rectify blunder

The Fullerton City Council seeks to rectify outgoing Mayor Mike Clesceri's blunder when he fired off an unauthorized letter to Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta during his last hours in office. The Council will revisit the matter at its December 21 meeting at 4 PM, receive comments and vote in public as required by the Brown Act.

Presumably the 3 member pro-airport majority will temper and put a somewhat more rational face on their proposal that the small Fullerton Municipal Airport run a huge commercial operation at El Toro.

Expect other OCRAA cities to pop up with pitches for an airport at El Toro - whether their residents support the idea or not. It is all part of a last-ditch attempt to create the impression of support for the airport project which voters rejected when they passed Measure W.


El Toro Info Site report, December 16, 2004
ALUC stalls supervisors' El Toro request

On October 6, 2004 Supervisors Wilson and Campbell requested that ALUC start planning the administrative steps to rescind the obsolete El Toro Environs Land Use Plan. At the October 21 ALUC meeting Executive Officer Joan Golding said her staff was "booked solid" with other "priorities" in preparation for ALUC's November and December meetings. On her suggestion ALUC stalled action on the supervisors' request until January.

However, ALUC's November meeting agenda was one of the lightest in recent memory. The December meeting, scheduled for today, was cancelled for lack of business. Golding sent the following email to commissioners:

Contrary to the rumor that the meeting was cancelled because I didn't have the cookies and punch ready, the real reason is the City of Santa Ana agrees they don't currently have a complete application for submittal to ALUC. Happy holidays!

We are left wondering what "priority" work had ALUC's staff of public employees "booked solid" and unable to work on the supervisors' request.


OC Register, December 15, 2004
"Airport backers refuse to be grounded"

"Is the [El Toro] airport really dead?  'I don't think so,' said Tom Naughton, president of the Airport Working Group, one of several entities still laboring to bring passenger service to El Toro."

"AWG supports a proposal by Los Angeles Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski to create a regional airport authority such as the one in San Diego, which would have power to make decisions about the location and level of air service throughout the area. It likely would require state legislative action to create such an authority."

"Among the groups supporting the idea is the Orange County Regional Airport Authority, which also worked for an El Toro airport. 'El Toro Airport is still on the table; maybe the political climate will change,' said Jack Wagner, executive director."

"To Naughton, Wagner and other airport supporters, no setback is fatal or permanent."

"'Once the base is sold, we will have crossed a major threshold,' said Beth Krom, mayor of Irvine. She says Rep. Cox, R-Newport Beach, has been working very hard to get the base sold, freeing Irvine to develop the Great Park."

"Krom said it's time to move on and address what she and others see as a major challenge facing Southern California - ground-transit systems that will relieve freeway congestion and get passengers to airports such as Ontario that want more air traffic."

Click for the entire article.


OC Register, December 14, 2004 - Late breaking
"County guards against airport revival"

"The board majority tells their lobbyist to fight any bid to create a regional authority that might want to put an airport at El Toro."

"This morning - on a 3-2 vote - supervisors instructed their Sacramento lobbyists to oppose any efforts at crafting a regional airport authority that could end up deciding to put an airport at the former El Toro Marine base. Their expressed desire would be to oppose any land-use decision that goes against what the current zoning for the property entails, plans dominated by a large park."

"Two supervisors - Jim Silva and Chuck Smith - remained silent on the issue, acknowledging the current anti-airport board majority, but voted against the action."

"Despite concerns about airport plans resurfacing, county lobbyist Scott Baugh told supervisors today that once the Navy sells the land, which is expected in January, there is no turning back."

"'Once that sale goes through, it's going to be difficult to put the toothpaste back in,' he said."

Website Editor: We hope he is correct. Los Angeles already owns one airport in a neighboring county - Ontario.

Click for the entire article.


LA Times, December 14, 2004
"DHL Picks March Base as New Hub"
"The shipping firm gets a below-market deal for the joint-powers base near Riverside. Neighbors, fearing noise and pollution, are suing."

"Shipping giant DHL has picked March Air Reserve base in Riverside County to be its new cargo hub in Southern California."

"For backers of the facility, DHL's announcement was a relief after a decade of efforts to bring private, profit-making businesses to the joint-powers base, and stiff competition from nearby Ontario and San Bernardino International airports." All three Inland Empire airports campaigned hard to land the contract and the development it will bring.

"The company will pay about 6 cents per square foot in rent for its facility to the Joint Powers Authority . . . Normal rents for Southern California airport cargo space run between 50 and 60 cents per square foot, industry experts said."

"DHL selected March because of the financial package, easy access to freeways and its ability to have the hub open by next autumn."

Some nearby residents are suing over environmental issues. "'I still hope we can get some agreement from DHL to both minimize any noise and overflight over residential areas in the Riverside area during nighttime hours,' [Supervisor Bob Buster] said. 'That needs to be provided for and it hasn't been.'"

Click for more . . .


El Toro Info Site report, December 13, 2004
Supervisors respond to Fullerton tactic

Supervisors Bill Campbell and Tom Wilson sent a December 8 letter to Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta making it clear "in the strongest terms" that "former mayor Mike Clesceri's request" for control over El Toro was "wrong-headed."

They wrote "In summary, the Orange County Board of Supervisors will not stand for any attempt to thwart the will of the voters and the land use decisions made by the community as a whole . . . Orange County's decision is firm and unwavering."

"We urge you to reject any suggestion to overturn our citizens' solid resolve to make El Toro a true countywide asset."

Meanwhile, Supervisor Chris Norby was actively investigating the Fullerton blunder that was made without formal action by the City Council or in a legal and properly noticed meeting.

Suspicions are growing that the Orange County Regional Airport Authority (OCRAA), certain die-hard Orange County politicians and staffers, and Los Angeles authorities had a hand in the matter.


Los Angeles Daily News, December 13, 2004
[LA Mayoral Candidate] "Alarcon wants new major airport . . . proposes creating countywide agency"

"State Sen. Richard Alarcon has developed his own strategy: Build a major new airport in fast-growing northern Los Angeles County. Alarcon, a Van Nuys Democrat who is running for mayor [against incumbent James Hahn], plans to introduce a bill this week to create a countywide authority that would pursue construction of another international airport -- one that would relieve congestion at LAX."

"'Most major jurisdictions have two major airports, and there's no reason why Los Angeles County shouldn't,' said Alarcon.. . . Among the options, he said, is expanding Palmdale Regional Airport . . . However, he doubts the city of Los Angeles, which owns the facility, would ever push to expand it."

"Alarcon also believes another international airport should be built with cooperation from communities throughout Los Angeles County, rather than allowing the city of Los Angeles to dominate the process."

A Hahn aide said "'The reality is, under Mayor Hahn, the city of Los Angeles already operates a regional airport system [Los Angeles World Airports, LAWA]. Mayor Hahn helped Ontario grow into a first-rate international airport, and he's expanding operations at Palmdale.'"

"State Sen. Tom McClintock, (R-Thousand Oaks), whose district includes Santa Clarita, said he believes Palmdale should be expanded into an international airport, as intended decades ago."

"Assemblyman Mike Gordon, the former mayor of El Segundo who has been a leading opponent of LAX expansion, said the greatest population growth for the region is projected for the Inland Empire, so Ontario Airport should be the focus of expansion efforts."

Mayoral candidate and City Councilman Bernard "Parks would also like to see state legislation that would create a six-county Southern California authority that would jointly plan regional air-transportation issues."

Candidate "Former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg does not see the need to build a new airport or create an additional airport bureaucracy, but supports a five-county regional approach to air-transportation planning, said campaign spokesman Matt Szabo."

Click for the entire article.

Website Editor: At this point, Alarcon's embryonic bill, SB 32, is titled as a "Los Angeles County Regional Airport Authority." It looks like a campaign football transferring power from the city of Los Angeles and its Los Angeles World Airports to the County of LA. During a previous LA mayoral campaign, the idea of limiting LAX to 78 MAP, in lieu of the larger airport favored by Mayor Richard Riordan, took hold as a political promise.

With the airport authority proposal in play in the Legislature, watch carefully as pro-El Toro parties try to morph it into a bureaucracy encompassing Orange County and the remainder of the SCAG region.


El Toro Info Site report, December 12, 2004 - updated
More on the "bizarre" Fullerton story

Hours before he left office as Fullerton Mayor, Mike Clesceri submitted a December 7th letter to Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta asking that the city be allowed to operate a federally owned commercial airport at El Toro. Click here for a copy of the letter (which will be brought to the City Council for its consideration on December 21).

Clesceri finished 4th in the November 2 city election and lost his bid to retain a city council seat.

As noted by OC Supervisor Chris Norby, Clesceri made the "bizarre" proposal as Mayor without first bringing the scheme to a City Council vote.

Clesceri's unconvincing rational for the city operating El Toro is that it currently operates Fullerton Municipal Airport. Fullerton's recently completed Master Plan for that general aviation airport's next 20 years calls for no growth beyond its historical level of operations. This hardly fits with Clesceri's prescription for a region "with a tremendous and growing need for airport capacity."

The Clesceri letter - which presumably was written for him by serious players - promotes concepts still being pursued by Los Angeles interests, such as asking that the Department of Navy convey the El Toro property to the Department of Transportation for leasing it to an airport operator. His letter cites the Washington Metropolitan Airports, a regional airport authority with powers to circumvent county control.

The Fullerton-El Toro proposal may be dismissed by some as an unauthorized last-ditch wild idea from a politician about to be out of a job. However, we see it as part of a larger orchestrated conspiracy by regional forces hoping to paint a picture of continued interest in an additional Orange County commercial airport.


El Toro Info Site report, December 10, 2004
The Fullerton caper

Los Angeles' bid to take over El Toro for an airport annex to LAX was a dead serious attempt, submitted in secret to Transportation Secretary Mineta, in hopes that it could gain traction before it became public.

In contrast, this week´s bid by the City of Fullerton  to run an airport at El Toro is a Keystone Kops caper with no chance of success. Unlike the LA scheme, it was not done in secret but was readily publicized to the media for public consumption.

This writer sees the Fullerton move as part of an insurgency against the will of Orange County voters orchestrated by major players hiding out of the limelight. The Fullerton letter, like an earlier letter by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher to the OC Register, is an attempt to put an Orange County public face on a Los Angeles push to restrict the growth of LAX.

It is likely that we will see other participants from throughout the region weighing in on the issue of an airport at El Toro. We are looking at the tip of the iceberg  so far. Those planning this next move in the airport war are working behind the scenes while others are writing the letters and setting the stage.


OC Register, December 9, 2004
"Fullerton pursues airport at El Toro"

The activity below the iceberg continues with the City of Fullerton throwing its weight into the debate. As reported today by both the OC Register and the LA Times, "City Council members sent a letter Wednesday to the U.S. Department of Transportation asking that it consider allowing Fullerton to operate a commercial airport at the former El Toro Marine base."

"A similar proposal by the city of Los Angeles was rebuffed last year. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta returned the letter, saying he lacked the authority to overrule Orange County's decision to build parks and housing on the land."

The LA Times added that "the Navy, which owns the base, has held steady to its plan to auction the land to developers Jan. 5. On Wednesday, the Navy rejected a plan by a local developer and an advocacy group to turn old military housing on the base into affordable homes."

Supervisor Chris Norby, who represents Fullerton, said he was "baffled by the letter," especially since only two weeks ago County Board of Supervisors decertified EIRs 563 and 573 that had been drafted for an airport at El Toro.


LA Times, December 8, 2004
"LAX Project Advances Amid Storm Clouds"

"As the City Council overwhelmingly approved Mayor James K. Hahn's modernization plan for Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday, county supervisors, airport-area residents and several local cities prepared to file suit to stop the project."

LA County county Board of Supervisors, however, "which has repeatedly said the plan fails to limit capacity at LAX or spread air traffic among the region's airports, voted unanimously Tuesday to file suit to block the proposal." Many airport-area residents, as well as the cities of El Segundo, Inglewood and Culver City are considering joining the lawsuits.

While the City of Los Angeles is considering limiting capacity at LAX to 78.9 million annual passengers by controlling the number of gates where airplanes park, it could violate the 1990 Capacity Act  that prohibits local government from regulating airports' operations.


LA Times, December 8, 2004
"Bid Would Open El Toro Housing"

"An Orange County advocacy group and a developer that have been lobbying the Navy to reopen military housing at the closed El Toro Marine base have submitted a formal proposal to the federal government that offers $255 million for the buildings and the land."

"There are close to 1,200 single-family homes on the base as well as barracks that could be converted into apartment units. The buildings occupy more than 400 acres on the 3,700-acre property. Under the proposal, Affordable Housing Resources would renovate the units and rent them to military and low-income families, said Ken Lee, a spokesman for Ocmil.com."

As reported previously  the Defense Department, after first considering using the houses in El Toro for Camp Pendleton Marines, later rejected the idea as, among other reasons, would require too long a commute to Camp Pendleton.


LA Times, December 7, 2004
$499.5 Million to Make LAX a Good Neighbor 

Airport commissioners approved a $499.5-million pact with community groups Monday aimed at improving the quality of life for residents living near Los Angeles International Airport. 

Commissioners hailed the deal with a 22-member coalition of religious, environment and labor groups and the Inglewood and Lennox school districts. 
 
The accord requires Federal Aviation Administration approval and will be reviewed by the Los Angeles City Council.
El Toro Info Site report, December 3, 2004
The pro-airport insurgency


Congressman Dana Rohrabacher's pro-airport anti-park letter to the OC Register is seen here as an effort to put a prominent Orange County face on a Los Angeles-driven push to offload LAX traffic onto its neighboring county. Rohrabacher is speaking for an insurgency seeking to overturn the will of OC voters who passed Measure W.

As we reported below, we are seeing the tip of an iceberg in letters such as those that have surfaced recently.



El Toro Info Site Report, December 2, 2004
Five years ago - a crucial event

Five years ago today, overly confident airport supporters celebrated the expected removal of a final obstacle to commercial aviation at El Toro. They were stunned when their plans collapsed the following day. On December 3, 1999, this website reported "FLASH - County Fails to Convince State on Transfer. Airport Opponents are Jubilant." The event was one of the most dramatic, crucial, least understood, and most forgotten victories in the long seesaw battle against an airport at El Toro.

An obscure panel, the California State Lands Commission dealt county officials a devastating blow by delaying an expected transfer of jurisdiction over El Toro from federal hands to the state. The commission voted 2-0, with 1 abstention, to postpone retrocession action.

Prior to the meeting, the OC Register reported, “If the commission agrees to the recommendation of its staff, it will approve the transfer and Orange County will take over law enforcement at the base.  The transfer - a process called retrocession - would allow the county to open more of the base to public uses. That could include everything from cocktails at the old Officers Club to air cargo flights as the county works to create an international airport at El Toro.”

The County planned to start interim cargo flights as quickly as possible after the Marines left in July 1999.. However, this necessitated obtaining control over the property from the Navy. Airport opponents - led by ETRPA - delayed this crucial retrocession step for months.

The delay allowed the clock to run out at the end of 1999 on a special [bankruptcy period] state law temporarily allowing OC supervisors to approve long term leases by a simple 3-2 majority. By the time the Lands Commission revisited the retrocession decision in 2000, the Orange County BOS needed a 4-1 vote, just like other California counties, to approve leases of the sort required for air cargo operations.

They couldn't get the 4th vote. Tom Wilson and Todd Spitzer were able to block the leases, cargo flights became infeasible, and ETRPA eventually removed its objections to retrocession.

Had cargo flights begun, El Toro would have become a de facto airport. The county's steamroller would have been nearly unstoppable. Instead, the events of 2000, including the overwhelming passage of Measure F, prevented airport supporters from regaining their momentum that was broken on December 3, 1999.


El Toro Info Site report, December 2, 2004 - updated
LA County fights LA City for limits on LAX

Click here for two articles from today's LA Times and the Daily Breeze. Los Angeles County supervisors are seeking to force limits on an LAX remodel plan headed towards passage by the LA City Council.

"The county is pursuing . . . a last-ditch attempt to stop the mayor's plan, which it argues fails to limit growth at LAX and spread air traffic among the region's airports."

County Supervisor Don Knabe, who is leading the county effort, advocates a regional airport authority which some would use to promote reactivating a commercial airport at El Toro.


El Toro Info Site report, December 1, 2004
The tip of the iceberg

Letters to the Daily Pilot by pro-El Toro hopefuls like Bonnie O'Neil and Donald Nyre of Newport Beach are just the cautionary tip of an iceberg. Below the surface there are serious players - congressmen, state legislators, county supervisors and well-placed bureaucrats - still meeting and plotting to resurrect the airport project. It is an effort by a broad coalition representing powerful  interests from throughout Southern California..

Ten years after the passage of Measure A, which initially designated El Toro for commercial aviation reuse, the airport is dead. Or is it in a deep coma from which revival is possible with the right combination of power, luck, and overconfidence by the anti-airport side? Stay alert. Stay tuned.


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