County’s Base Reuse Plan Criticized

The County Board of Supervisors decided Tuesday to seek federal permission for an animal shelter, an alcohol detention facility and a juvenile hall on the Tustin Marine Corps Air Station, despite opposition from Tustin officials who say those uses are not compatible with the area.

“We disagree with the county. We think those plans will not work, and don’t fit into our overall reuse plan,” Tustin City Manager William A. Huston said.

County officials have met with Tustin leaders for the past two weeks, but remain far apart on several issues involving the future of the 1,600-acre base, which will be converted to civilian use after 1997.

“How is a sobering-up facility going to be appropriate and compatible with educational facilities and private development like a housing complex on the base?” Huston said.

County officials maintain that the Tustin base closure presents an opportunity to build “high-priority” facilities which the county badly needs.

“We have an obligation to provide these services to the public and here’s an opportunity to potentially receive land and buildings free. It’s an opportunity we just can’t let go by without trying to capitalize on it,” said Ernie Schneider, county administrative officer.

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.

The board voted unanimously Tuesday to submit applications to various federal departments for the animal shelter, an alcohol detention center and a juvenile hall. Meanwhile, the city of Tustin will submit its own reuse plan. The Department of the Navy will eventually decide how the base will be used.

Schneider said that moving the animal shelter from Orange would free up land for expansion at the Theo Lacy Branch Jail. He also said a second juvenile hall is needed to relieve the overcrowded facility in Orange.

Tustin and county officials have agreed on certain uses for the base that include an 80-acre urban park, a child-care shelter, a regional law enforcement training facility, a family resource center and a jail for inmates on daytime work furloughs.

County officials have about a month to submit the applications to the federal government.

City manager Huston is optimistic the government will eventually decide to follow the city’s reuse plan and reject the county’s proposal.

“Congress didn’t close down the base to make it a grab bag for county agencies,” he said.