IRVINE : Council to Discuss El Toro Base Future

The City Council will discuss the future of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station tonight amid growing signs that Irvine and other South County cities are close to reaching an agreement with the county on a governing board to oversee base redevelopment.

City Manager Paul O. Brady Jr. is scheduled to update the council on the negotiations tonight. No action is expected to be taken, but council members might state their views on the latest developments.

“I think there has been some movement,” Brady said Monday. “I can’t say when (an agreement) will be reached, but I think we are getting close.”

A compromise would end months of discord between Irvine and the county over who will control redevelopment planning for El Toro.

County and city officials said they expect the compromise to place base conversion planning in the hands of an executive committee made up of representatives of the Board of Supervisors, South County cities and several other communities.

The agreement is also expected to give Irvine a weighted vote in the decision-making process--something council members have long demanded.

The 4,700-acre base lies on the northeastern edge of Irvine. City officials are opposed to converting it into a commercial airport out of concerns over noise, traffic and pollution.