Moving Forward on Airport Plan
A majority of the voters of Orange County recently decided a commercial airport at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station is necessary to meet our long-range air transportation needs. On Nov. 15, the Board of Supervisors made the correct choice to follow the decision of the voters by giving 30-day notice to withdraw from the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority as the first step in implementing the provisions in Measure A. Its staff was directed to develop plans to change the existing structure to conform with the requirements of the initiative.
The Board of Supervisors has now regained planning and land use authority for the base to be aided by the newly mandated 13-member El Toro Airport Citizens Advisory Committee. Five members of the committee will be selected by the Orange County League of Cities; another five will be chosen, one from each supervisor’s district. Since Irvine is in the 4th District and Lake Forest in the 3rd District, we suggest their selection by the league as most directly impacted cities. The last three members will be drawn from aviation, business, labor and community groups.
We assume that the county staff will pass on the knowledge gained so far in studies by consultants, and sub-committees to reduce any loss of time in a revised plan.
EUGENE H. MORIARTY
Chairman, Committee
For El Toro Airport Tomorrow
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