Dear Neighbor,
Listen to your neighbors written comments about our April-May newsletter survey on future uses for El Toro: "A central park and library would be great." "We need parks, but we also need uses that will generate revenue." "How about a Pacific Basin Research and Convention Center?" "The pedestrian-friendly 21st century downtown sounds great!"
Commenting on the 20 non-aviation uses we listed in the survey (see adjacent story and enclosed survey results), one citizen wrote: "All of these uses are acceptable; none are mutually exclusive given the size of the land parcel." This is absolutely right! The Marine Corps Base at El Toro is a massive 4700-acre site that can accommodate all sorts of wonderful uses -- and all at once: a high-tech research center; college campuses; museums and cultural attractions; an open space and wildlife preserve; an arts and entertainment center, and much more. What do all of these reuse options have in common? While they are compatible with each other, they are all incompatible with a commercial airport.
Project '99 is dedicated to the proposition that when the Marine Corps leaves El Toro -- in 1999 -- the people of Orange County are entitled to a real choice about the future of the base. That means we must develop the best possible non-aviation reuse plan. We must put it up against the County's El Toro Airport plan. Then, we must ask the voters a simple question: Which is the better plan?
Larry Agran
Final Survey Results Reported
Project ë99 Supporters Begin to Sketch a 21st Century, Non-Aviation Future for El Toro Marine Corps Base
Who says the people of Orange County are "apathetic"? Our Project '99 newsletter for April included a "Survey of Supporters,' asking them to grade 20 non-aviation reuses for El Toro. We expected dozens of responses -- but we received hundreds. When we re-published the survey, giving our supporters a "last chance" to be heard in May, hundreds of additional responses poured in. In fact, by the time this June newsletter went to press, 788 Orange County households had responded to the survey.
Project '99 survey respondents confirmed something we already knew: Just about any non-aviation reuses are preferable to a commercial airport at El Toro. But the huge survey response told us something else: In growing numbers, Orange County residents understand that the best way to beat a very bad idea -- El Toro International Airport -- is to focus on better ideas for reusing the Marine Corps Base.
Grading 20 non-aviation uses on a scale of 1-to-10 ("1" is the worst and "10' is the best), Project '99 supporters have begun to sketch an attractive mixture of uses for El Toro. By the numbers, these citizens are painting a non-aviation future for El Toro. It is a vibrant and exciting future -- a vastly superior reuse of the Marine Corps Base when compared with the grim environmental and economic devastation that a commercial airport would bring to all of Orange County.
Open Space Uses Popular
As expected, in considering the many reuse possibilities for the huge El Toro Marine Corps Base, respondents strongly favored the creation of an Open Space and Wildlife Preserve that could easily take up one-third of the entire 4700-acre base. The idea of a generous Open Space and Wildlife Preserve drew an overall score of 7.11 (measured as an average or mean) on a scale of 1 to 10. Of the 788 re-spondents, 264 gave this land use the highest ranking -- a "10".
Among the most popular reuse options in the survey was the combined Orange County Central Park and Library. Reflecting the premium that Orange County citizens seem to place on open space and education, it received a score of 7.97, with 293 respondents giving it a "10". Recreational Uses -- for example, golf courses and ballfields -- also drew a favorable response, with a grade of 6.86. Respondents didn't seem quite as impressed with Agricultural Uses, which scored 6.02. Another open space land use -- a Cemetery -- was unpopular, garnering an overall survey score of just 4.32.
Job-Generating Uses Rank High
Of the 20 listed categories, the one receiving the highest number of "10's" -- 337 of them -- was College Campuses and Education Center; it also received the highest average score, 8.00, just ahead of Orange County Central Library and Park. Clearly, Orange County residents value higher education. They also seem to regard college campuses as an appealing land use. And some seem to understand that higher education brings a remarkable bonus -- it is a huge job-generating enterprise. In fact, UCI employs over 10,000 people in Orange County, more than the Disney Corporation or any private businesses. Other proposed uses for El Toro involving job-rich economic activity drew respectable support. High-Tech Research/Manufacturing received a strong score of 6.77, with 174 "10's". A Major Motion Picture and Television Studio drew 5.99 with 116 "10's". Apparently unpopular, however, were Retail Shopping Center/High-Rise Offices at 4.80, and Industrial and Warehouse Space at just 4.26.
Tourism and Major Attractions
Land uses designed to bring in others -- and their dollars -- drew divided responses. On the one hand, respondents seemed to appreciate the economic and educational benefits of these uses; but on the other hand, they appeared to worry about crowds and traffic. Museums and Cultural Attractions drew 7.69 on the 1-to-10 scale, the third highest average score on the entire list of reuse options; moreover, 244 respondents gave this choice a "10". The proposed Arts and Entertainment Center received a score of 7.31, with 203 "10's". A Convention Center drew just 5.25 and a Professional Sports Stadium 5.24. Possibly concerned about crowds and traffic, the Amusement Park and Tourist Attractions option was an unpopular choice, receiving a score of only 4.36.
Trains and 'Downtown' Uses
Possibly building on the current Irvine/El Toro Train Station as an answer to traffic worries, the proposed Transportation Center / 'Railport' and Monorail drew a moderately popular response of 6.21. The 'Pedestrian Friendly' 21st Century Downtown received a score of 5.78, with 105 respondents giving it a "10". Hospital and Health Care Facilities drew an average 5.77. The category Homes and Apartments received an average of just 4.17. By far the most unpopular land reuse option on the entire list was Correctional Facilities. It received an average score of only 2.10; in fact, 526 of the 788 respondents gave Correctional Facilities the worst score, a "1".
The Project '99 April-May survey is just the beginning of our work in building a detailed alternative use plan for El Toro. Amazingly, more than 150 respondents indicated their readiness to participate on a Project '99 Task Force to study and develop the non-aviation reuses for El Toro. We will be drawing upon these wonderful volunteers -- and their ideas -- with briefings and workshops now being planned for early autumn.
Citizens who wish to participate in the Task Forceís work, but havenít yet signed up, should use the enclosed reply sheet to let us know of your interest. Website browsers please call our office.
The Bulletin Board
Court Cases Transferred: There have been important developments in two court cases challenging the legality of the Countyís Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the proposed El Toro International Airport. The two cases -- Lake Forest, Irvine, et al. vs County of Orange and Taxpayers for Responsible Planning vs. County of Orange -- have been transferred to the San Diego County Superior Court, where they will be heard by Judge Judith McConnell. According to attorney Richard Jacobs, representing the cities in their lawsuit, Judge McConnell is regarded as an expert on state environmental law and a jurist who is sympathetic to environmental defense issues. The cases are expected to be argued before Judge McConnell in late August.
Press Briefings -- Past and Future: On the last Friday of each month, Project '99 holds a press briefing at the UCI University Club. The April press briefing featured speakers from the Orange County Business Coalition. Led by Laurie Casey and Peter Craig of Rainbow Technologies, Inc., five business executives spoke in opposition to the proposed El Toro International Airport. They said a cargo and passenger airport at El Toro is unneeded by local businesses and would kill the growth of environmentally-sensitive high-tech firms in the Irvine Spectrum. They also noted that airports create demand for $30,000-per-year service sector and warehousing jobs, not the $60,000-per-year jobs so common to 'knowledge workers.'
The next Project '99 press briefing will be on Friday, June 27th, at the usual time and place: 10:00 a.m. at the UCI University Club (at Berkeley Road and Los Trancos). Space is limited. Please call us at 559-5423 if you are interested in attending. Let us know if you intend to stay for a post-briefing buffet luncheon ($10).
The Website: Check the web -- http://www.eltoroairport.org -- for up-to-date information on developments concerning the El Toro conversion. The website has been recently reorganized and is better than ever.
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