County Delays Request on Tustin Base Reuse

The Orange County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday delayed plans to seek government approval for detention facilities and a police training center on the Tustin Marine Corps Air Station after it closes in 1997.

The county administrative officer, who had proposed those uses for the base and planned to present them to the supervisors on Tuesday for a vote, instead advised them to wait two weeks. That would give the board more time for discussions with Tustin city officials, who are wary of portions of the county’s plans.

“We decided to wait because we thought it would be better to work cooperatively. The goal is to have Tustin agree with our uses, and then they would be part their use plan,” said Ernie Schneider, county administrative officer.

Schneider said he requested the delay also in part because the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services extended a deadline for the police training facility application.

The county hopes to use a portion of the 1,600-acre base for an indoor pistol range and classrooms for local law enforcement, a jail for prisoners on daytime work furloughs, an alcoholism recovery facility, a second juvenile hall, a family resource center and an animal shelter.

Many existing buildings on the air base could easily be converted into the proposed facilities and thereby provide substantial savings to the county, according to Susan Novak of the county administrative office.

But what might be good for the county has caused concern for some Tustin officials.

“We need more time and information to see what just exactly what the county’s plans are,” said Tustin City Manager William A. Huston, who serves on the 17-member City Council-appointed Base Closure Task Force. The task force will make a recommendation to the council as to the best reuse plans.

“It’s a positive sign that the county decided to wait so we can see what from their plan can be incorporated into our reuse plan.”

The task force chairman, Thomas R. Saltarelli, said: “We are mindful of the county’s needs, but the county must be realistic about what they propose for the site. Just because we agreed to talk does not mean we will accept everything the county wants.”

According to federal law, land and buildings at closed military bases can be given or sold at below-market prices to local governments as long as the federal government approves of their future uses.