Week in Review : MAJOR EVENTS, IMAGES AND PEOPLE IN ORANGE COUNTY NEWS : CITIES : Jets Get Green Light at Fullerton Airport and Residents See Red

Small jets will be allowed to fly in and out of Fullerton Municipal Airport under a 4-1 decision by the City Council last week, a move that prompted angry homeowners to announce a referendum drive.

One homeowner, Carl Stevenson, 35, announced he would run as a write-in candidate for council in the November city election. He also announced he and others will begin work on a referendum to put the jets issue before the electorate.

The no-jets clause in a city ordinance was deleted because the Federal Aviation Administration has said that the prohibition might discriminate against jet aircraft.

Because of noise, weight and runway length restrictions at the Fullerton airport, only one small jet--the Citation I--will be allowed under the amended ordinance, said the airport’s director, Rodney L. Murphy.

But angry residents, mostly from Fullerton and Buena Park, disagreed. Many said they feared an accident similar to the one Aug. 31 in Cerritos involving an Aeromexico jetliner and a private plane.

Others said their property values could fall. Residents near the airport already suffer from excessive aircraft noise and low-flying planes, they contended.

The council majority said it was forced the change the law or risk lawsuits and the loss of FAA grants.

Displeased residents immediately began soliciting support for a recall drive against Mayor A.B. (Buck) Catlin, Mayor Pro Tem Richard C. Ackerman, and Councilwomen Molly McClanahan and Linda LeQuire, the four who voted to change the law. But they later decided to seek a referendum instead of a recall.