NEWPORT BEACH : Talks Wednesday on El Toro Conversion

The City Council has scheduled a public study session for Wednesday afternoon to discuss rival plans for establishing a countywide panel to decide the fate of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.

Last week, Newport Beach was one of 14 North County cities that agreed to push for more representation on the countywide panel that will decide the redevelopment of the 4,700-acre base. The North County cities favor converting the base to a commercial airport.

That came days after the Newport Beach City Council decided to take no action on a request from Irvine Mayor Michael Ward to join an intergovernmental agency that Newport Beach Mayor Clarence J. Turner says is “weighted” in favor of South County cities. The South County cities oppose using the base as an airport.

Newport Beach officials say the Wednesday City Council meeting will simply bring the seven council members up to speed on the developing issue. Because of the Laguna Beach fire, city officials canceled a similar meeting originally scheduled for last Friday. Wednesday’s meeting starts at 3:30 p.m. in the council chambers. No vote will be taken.

“It is the hottest issue in the county,” said Turner. “I think the seven members need a review of this entire issue.”

Residents of Newport Beach have complained for years about the noise from airplanes from John Wayne Airport taking off over their houses. If El Toro were to become the county’s second commercial airport, that would lessen the noise and volume of traffic at John Wayne Airport.

The El Toro plan negotiated by county supervisors Gaddi H. Vasquez and Thomas F. Riley would establish an intergovernmental authority by which Irvine and the county would get four votes, Lake Forest three, and the remaining cities--Newport Beach, Anaheim, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, Tustin and Mission Viejo--one vote apiece.

Newport Beach officials are concerned that the plan does not give their city adequate voice in the decision making. Anaheim also has indicated it opposes the Vasquez-Riley plan but has not taken formal action.

The latest rival plan, proposed by Anaheim Mayor Tom Daly, would create a 11-member governing body structure like the Orange County Transportation Authority. In it, each of the county supervisors would get one vote, representatives of each supervisorial district would get one vote and the city of Irvine would get one vote.

The Defense Department previously has told Orange County officials it will not award planning grants or other financial assistance to the El Toro redevelopment effort until there is communitywide consensus on who should sit on the redevelopment agency.