Local News in Brief : Newport Beach : $50,000 Grant Approved for Airport Site Study

The City Council has approved a $50,000 grant for a group preparing a study to identify a location for a second airport to serve Orange County pilots and airline passengers.

The group, the Airport Site Coalition, was formed in 1986 with representatives of the Orange County Aviation Council, the county Chamber of Commerce, the Industrial League of Orange County and the Airport Working Group.

The group launched a 20-month study last month, backed by $150,000 in Federal Aviation Administration money for the first year. An additional $228,000 in federal money is expected for next year, according to Al Bell, the coalition’s executive director. But the group needs to raise an extra $250,000 to complete the study, Bell said.

Newport Beach Councilman Clarence Turner, a key member of the coalition, approached the city to request the $50,000, which was approved Monday night. Other cities and organizations are expected to contribute towards the study, Turner said.

The Airport Site Coalition is working under contract for the Southern California Assn. of Governments. The association has recommended joint use of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station for commercial and military flights as a means of helping to alleviate congestion at John Wayne and Los Angeles Internation airports.