Fullerton : New Hangar Will Bear Name of Bruce Wayne

A $2.5-million hangar being built for the city’s airport will be named after Bruce Wayne, the air traffic reporter who died in June after his airplane crashed in Fullerton, the City Council decided Tuesday.

In addition, the council voted to erect a monument at the airport in the pilot’s memory. The city will consult with Lois Wayne, his widow, to decide on a monument design.

The Fullerton Municipal Airport administration had considered naming a street or the airport itself after Wayne, but a street by that name already exists in the city and renaming the airport would have caused confusion with John Wayne Airport, according to Airport Administrator Rodney Murphy.

“I think it’s the logical way to go,” said Mayor A.B. (Buck) Catlin.

Wayne’s single-engine plane crashed June 4 shortly after taking off from Fullerton Municipal Airport, where Wayne had based his plane for several years. He and his wife of 19 years were residents of Fullerton.

In other action, the council set a tentative date of Aug. 27 for a public Planning Commission hearing on proposed changes to an ordinance that requires all fraternities and sororities to obtain conditional use permits.

After that hearing, the ordinance changes would go to the City Council for another public hearing. The proposed changes include more specific guidelines to obtain conditional use permits and the elimination of a yearly $100 renewal fee.