County, Cities Reported in Accord on El Toro : Government: Sources tell of breakthrough that could end wrangling over civilian future of the Marine base.

Orange County officials and a coalition of South County cities reached a breakthrough agreement Friday that could end months of warring over future control of El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, sources close to the negotiations said.

According to the framework approved during a closed meeting between County Supervisors Thomas F. Riley and Gaddi H. Vasquez and council members from three South County cities, most of the planning and financing responsibilities for the base redevelopment plan would be directed by the county in partnership with Irvine and to a lesser degree by neighboring Lake Forest.

Riley, while declining to discuss the terms of the agreement, said an announcement would be made Monday.

“Until everybody involved knows, we can’t say anymore,” Riley said. “It’s no secret that we met today. We had a good meeting.”

The two-hour, midday meeting included Irvine Mayor Michael Ward, Laguna Hills Councilwoman Melody Carruth and Lake Forest Mayor Ann Van Haun.

While the county and South County cities appear to be forging their alliance after months of acrimony, the plan is not free of controversy.

In order for the compromise to work, it must include the participation of Anaheim and Newport Beach, two cities that are poised to oppose the plan because a majority of votes on the board that would govern the base’s future would be controlled by South County. Northern and western county cities want the base converted to a commercial airport, a plan that is opposed by South County cities.

Still, Friday’s tentative agreement represents a major compromise, said sources close to the negotiations.

The county and cities have been at loggerheads for months over who should oversee the crafting of a plan for transforming the 4,700-acre Marine Corps base to civilian use. El Toro is scheduled to close in four to six years.

During the stalemate, the county had refused to give up its ultimate land-use authority since all but 300 acres are in an unincorporated area of the county. The county has also resisted South County’s demand for a joint-powers authority that would govern base planning.

But in the past two weeks, city and county officials have been hammering out a power-sharing plan--similar to a proposal first forwarded by the South County cities--that would place final authority over the base’s redevelopment with an intergovernmental agency made up of representatives of the Board of Supervisors and eight cities.

Under terms of the tentative agreement, as described by sources close to the negotiations, the county and Irvine would each be given four votes on the governing board, and Lake Forest would have three. Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills and Laguna Niguel would each get one vote. In order to gain countywide support for the plan Anaheim, Newport Beach and Tustin would each get one vote.

Irvine was given an equal share of votes with the county because 300 acres of the base are inside its city limits. Lake Forest is adjacent to the base.

Tustin Councilman Jeffrey Thomas said Friday he expected his city to sign the agreement as long as it has approval from the full Board of Supervisors.

“I have always felt the county and South County would come to a joint decision,” he said.

But Newport Beach Mayor Clarence J. Turner faulted the negotiations for not including representatives from other parts of the county.

“I think everyone should be involved in the negotiations,” Turner said. “For something that is fair and right for all interests, all parts of the county should be represented.”

Turner and other officials who support an airport at El Toro prefer an Anaheim plan that would place the base redevelopment authority in the hands of a committee made up of all five county supervisors, Irvine and a city representative from each supervisorial district.

If the compromise favors South County cities, Turner said other cities should prepare their own competing reuse plan and place it on the ballot for voters to decide.

“I feel we need a plan that represents the entire county on an equal basis,” Turner said.

Even though Anaheim would get a vote under the tentative agreement, Anaheim Councilman Irv Pickler said he would only vote to accept such an offer if the governing board included equal representation from all parts of the county.

“If it’s weighted toward the South County, they’ll have a problem,” Pickler said. “People are going to fight it.”

However, South County officials have defended the fairness of their position in recent days as their negotiations reached a fragile conclusion.

In addition, all 31 Orange County cities would be asked to participate on an executive committee that would recommend conversion plans to the governing board. Members would also include key business interests, such as neighboring Irvine Co. and the Orange County Chamber of Commerce. Four South County communities that are not incorporated--Aliso Viejo, Coto de Caza, Leisure World of Laguna Hills and Rancho Santa Margarita--also would be included.

Votes on the larger executive committee would be weighted in favor of those communities closest to the base.

Following Friday’s meeting, Ward, Irvine’s mayor, said: “We’re crossing Ts and dotting I’s. . . . We didn’t have massive disagreement on any particular point.”

Supervisor Vasquez declined comment.

Times staff writer Kevin Johnson and correspondent Shelby Grad contributed to this report.