Cities Suing to Overturn El Toro Initiative : Land use: Irvine and Lake Forest’s separate actions both will claim Measure A would allow commercial airport without addressing related issues.

Irvine will sue Orange County to try to overturn voter-approved Measure A, city officials said Wednesday, while Lake Forest is also proceeding with a lawsuit against the county to invalidate the controversial initiative.

Officials from both cities said the suits will challenge Measure A on grounds that the initiative will change the County General Plan to allow a commercial airport at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, but will not address related issues such as transportation and noise.

In addition, officials said the measure illegally bypasses state and local planning laws.

“We feel the county plan has several fatal flaws as it has been amended by Measure A,” said Irvine Mayor Michael Ward. The City Council directed City Manager Paul O. Brady Jr. to hire an attorney to represent the city.

Lake Forest filed a lawsuit in Superior Court last summer asking to remove Measure A from the November ballot, but that complaint was rejected by a judge on grounds that it was premature. The initiative was narrowly approved by voters.

Lake Forest Councilwoman Ann Van Haun said the council voted Tuesday night to go ahead with another lawsuit. “I expect there will be an announcement (tonight) and some action as early as Friday,” she said.

Representatives from Irvine and Lake Forest said they will not participate in tonight’s League of California Cities’ selection of representatives to the El Toro Airport Citizens Advisory Commission. The commission, which was mandated by Measure A, replaced the nine-member El Toro Reuse Planning Authority.

The authority, which was composed of the five county supervisors, three representatives from Irvine and one from Lake Forest, was formed to plan the development of the Marine base when it closes in 1999.

But Measure A made the Board of Supervisors the new planning agency for the base and excluded Irvine and Lake Forest.

The new commission will act as an advisory group to the supervisors. The 31 mayors from Orange County cities are expected to pick five members of the commission at tonight’s meeting, one from each supervisorial district.

There will be no Irvine officials at the meeting, said Councilman Barry J. Hammond. “We’re all going to be at the policemen’s ball,” he said.

Van Haun said that a Lake Forest representative will be at the meeting but will not participate in the selection to protest Lake Forest’s exclusion from the planning process for the base.