Project '99 Newsletter, April 1997

A Note from Larry Agran Chair of Project ’99

Dear Neighbor,

Thanks to the generous and growing support that you and thousands of Orange County residents have given to Project ’99, we can now do what so many of you have urged — we can transform the negative debate about the proposed El Toro International Airport into a positive county-wide dialogue about the remarkable non-aviation possibilities for El Toro. We can deal with the nightmare of an El Toro Airport by rediscovering the power of our own dreams.

Since its founding, Project ’99 has held fast to a twofold mission: The first part of our mission has been to defend our communities against the environmental and economic disaster that an around-the-clock international airport at El Toro would bring. That part of our mission is now in full swing — our research and studies and community education are reaching tens of thousands of citizens, and we’re close to adopting a Project ’99 “Friend of the Court” strategy. (See this month’s “Bulletin Board” report on our March “Friend of the Court” survey.)

Now, we’re able to turn to the second part of our mission — what we’re for . Project ’99 is working to ensure that when the Marine Corps leaves El Toro, in 1999, the 4,700-acre base is reused for safe, productive, and environmentally sensible purposes. In other words, we’re working to create an exciting non-aviation future for El Toro. With this April newsletter, we invite you to join us in dreaming some practical dreams about the future of El Toro. Read this month’s feature article, entitled “Imagine the Possibilities.”

Take a few minutes to respond to our enclosed Project ’99 Supporter Survey. And let us know if you’d like to join a soon-to-be-organized Project ‘99 task force on alternative uses. Together, we will create a future that will make us proud!

Imagine the Possibilities

With lawsuits now challenging the County’s El Toro Airport proposal, it’s time to develop non-aviation reuse plans for the Marine Corps Base.

On December 11, 1996, when the County Supervisors approved the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) giving the go-ahead to the proposed El Toro International Airport, they gave short shrift to “Reuse Alternative C.” Alternative C was supposed to describe non-aviation uses for the 4,700-acre base being vacated by the Marines in 1999. But the non-aviation reuse options considered by the County consultants were so limited in scope and so poorly developed — in possible violation of state law — that the Supervisors grudgingly acknowledged the need for new funding to further develop Reuse Alternative C. The simple truth of the matter is that the Supervisors have a legal and moral obligation to consider all options — especially non-aviation alternatives — for reuse of the Marine Corps Base at El Toro, a facility that is owned by the United States Government and, in turn, by the American people.

The El Toro military base is 4,700 acres of potential. Consider what could be developed — or left undeveloped — for all of us to enjoy: There could be a high-tech manufacturing and research center; a learning center that includes colleges, technical schools and a magnificent Central Orange County Library; an arts and entertainment center; a major motion picture studio; a sports center for recreation, and amateur and professional sports; and a transportation center that includes a “railport” for Amtrak, MetroLink, and even a 21st Century monorail linking Orange County communities.

Additional possibilities include: a 1500-acre agricultural and wildlife preserve; an Orange County Central Park; equestrian trails; museums; and mixed housing and commercial uses in a new, pedestrian-friendly “downtown” Orange County. Now is the time to develop a vision to guide the redevelopment of El Toro and to take maximum advantage of this tremendous opportunity. Will we dream grand dreams and forge a new concept that would benefit our children and grandchildren as well as ourselves? Will we rediscover the exciting possibilities for building a planned community and shaping our own future?

Project ’99 is taking a leadership role in ensuring the kind of community dialogue about land-use that Orange County so desperately needs. As we did last summer in creating our task force to evaluate the County’s EIR, we are inviting citizens who want to work together on a non-aviation future for El Toro to contribute their ideas, their time and their talent. We’ve enclosed a brief survey to ask our supporters how they view these options. Please take a moment to respond to our survey — we’ll report the results in our next newsletter. We care what you think. We care about your ideas.

Litigation Update

On March 10, 1997, a three-judge panel in the 4th District Court of Appeal in San Diego heard arguments on an appeal of a previous decision which upheld ballot Measure A. Measure A was the narrowly-approved November 1994 ballot initiative, which called for an international airport at El Toro.

According to Richard Jacobs, the attorney representing the South Orange County cities in the suit, two related arguments were advanced against Measure A. First, the cities’ position is that the ballot initiative improperly mandated the construction of an international airport at the El Toro site. Airport supporters argue that Measure A merely started the planning process to consider an airport at the El Toro site. Therefore, in the related second argument, the cities point out that Measure A created fundamental and unlawful incon-sistencies in Orange County’s General Plan — Measure A’s process did not include the required comprehensive analysis of the environmental impacts that a massive airport project would have on the physical infrastructure of surrounding cities. Airport supporters counter that a comprehensive environmental impact study was not required to begin the planning process.

A decision will be announced within the next 30 to 90 days. If the appeal is successful and Measure A is overturned, the County would have to amend its general plan before it could go forward with a commercial airport at El Toro. This would significantly delay the airport project.

In other legal news, there is some progress to report on the cities’ suit (Lake Forest, Irvine, et al. vs. County of Orange) and the citizens’ suit (Taxpayers for Responsible Planning vs. County of Orange), challenging the adequacy of the County’s Environ-mental Impact Report (EIR) which promotes the reuse of the Marine Corps Base at El Toro as an around-the-clock international airport. Richard Jacobs, attorney for the cities, reports that he has been coordinating efforts with James Moose, attorney for Taxpayers for Responsible Planning, and anticipates that the two lawsuits will be combined and transferred to San Diego. The first hearing regarding this consolidated suit should take place in late spring.

The Bulletin Board

Meet the Press:

Our Project ’99 April press briefing will be held at the University Club at UCI (Berkeley Road and Los Trancos). These monthly briefings are our continuing effort to educate the community concerning the half-truths and outright lies that have been advanced in support of the unneeded, unwanted, unworkable, unaffordable airport at El Toro. The April press briefing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Friday, April 25th. The briefing is free of charge. Following the briefing, a buffet luncheon is scheduled which will feature a guest speaker. The luncheon will involve a modest fee. We are inviting Project ’99 supporters, as well as journalists, to attend the briefings. If you are interested in additional information, please call us at (714) 559-5423.

“Friend of the Court” is a Winning Strategy:

Our survey accompanying last month’s newsletter (March, 1997) elicited overwhelming support for Project ’99’s Friend of the Court legal strategy, currently under consideration. Of the hundreds responding to the survey, 88 percent said they wanted to see Project ’99 file Friend of the Court briefs to ensure that our unique perspective is presented to the various courts of appeal when cases challenging El Toro International Airport move up from the trial courts. Friend of the Court briefs, also known as amicus curiae, would permit us to provide information and research from our study teams — helping the appellate courts to reach fair and equitable decisions which honor environmental protection laws.

Nearly 90 percent of Project ’99 survey respondents favor soliciting the support and cooperation of other groups opposing the airport, and 80 percent recommend earmarking special operating funds for the Friend of the Court strategy. Almost 70 percent of those responding indicated a willingness to help defray the Friend of the Court expenses, and nearly one-half who responded to the survey expressed an interest in receiving a copy of our amicus curiae briefs. Our management team is continuing to review the feasibility of a Friend of the Court strategy, and will report its decision soon.

We want to thank everyone who took the time to respond to our survey. Also, thanks to those who took the opportunity to include an additional donation to advance Project ’99’s work.

The Website:

Project ’99 is one of several groups contributing to the El Toro Airport website, which is managed and edited by Leonard Kranser. Look for additional information at: http://www.eltoroairport.org.

Project ’99 is a special project of the Tides Center, a duly registered public charity. Donations to Project ’99/Tides Center are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Project ’99 Newsletter Director of Communications, Karen Byers Director of Media, Alan Ellstrand

Project ’99 • PO Box 252 • Irvine CA 92650 • Phone (714) 559-5423