Pentagon Reaffirms Intent to Close El Toro; Tustin Air Station Back on Closure List

Despite the highest hopes of South County community leaders that the closing of El Toro Marine Corps Air Station would be reconsidered by the Pentagon, the new military base closure plan released Tuesday reaffirmed the end of El Toro’s military mission.

But in an odd twist, the Tustin Marine Corps Air Station was included in the Pentagon’s 1995 base closure report so that the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission can reconsider where to send the base’s helicopters. Tustin was originally put on the closure list in 1991.

El Toro also was included in the latest closure report, but defense officials say the base’s status has not changed, and plans still call for its closure by 1999.

Another Orange County facility added to this year’s report is the Santa Ana Naval Reserve Center, which will result in the loss of 12 military and two civilian jobs and a projected savings for the Navy of $3 million when that facility closes within six years.

However, the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station will gain 51 military and 126 civilian jobs under the Pentagon’s realignment plan for 1995. The base currently has about 700 civilian employees and 175 military personnel.

By law, the Pentagon’s base realignment report is sent to the independent base-closure commission, which will hold hearings and then make its recommendations to President Clinton on July 1.

From a technical standpoint, the inclusion of the El Toro and Tustin bases in this year’s report opens the door for the base commission to reconsider previous decisions to close the facilities, a Navy spokeswoman said.

However, officials said reversal of those decisions is unlikely, given the Defense Department’s determination to reduce overhead costs--an effort that has not kept pace with the reduction in forces--in order to modernize and improve military readiness.

The Pentagon “made these decisions because they are the right thing for the taxpayers,” said Navy Lt. K.E. Dixon.

Also, while both bases are listed in the report, only Tustin’s helicopters are affected by the proposed change, an El Toro spokesman said.

“The military has been a good friend of Irvine for many years. We think it’s a bad decision to close El Toro,” said Irvine Councilman Barry J. Hammond. “Our plan is to continue ahead with planning the reuse of the base when the Marines leave.”

Irvine and other South County cities are locked in a bitter feud with the Orange County Board of Supervisors over who should develop the base when it closes.

Now that the Pentagon has reaffirmed its decision to close El Toro, South County residents should make sure their communities have a role in the development of the base, said Laguna Hills Councilwoman Melody Carruth.

“Instead of wasting our energy on trying to convince the Pentagon to keep El Toro open, it would be far more productive for South County residents to work for active participation in the planning process,” Carruth said.

South County leaders who fear that El Toro will be turned into a commercial airport had never really given up hope that the base closure would be reconsidered this year due to huge upfront costs of closing bases.

During the 1993 commission hearings on El Toro, the Orange County Board of Supervisors and South County community activists argued that the one-time cost to realign West Coast Marine Operations--including El Toro--would cost $1.75 billion, instead of the Navy’s estimate of $897.6 million. Even under the Navy’s estimate, the recommendation was the third costliest of the Marine realignment options considered by the commission.

Under the previously approved plan, West Coast Marine operations were to be moved to the Miramar and North Island Naval Air Stations in San Diego, as well as Camp Pendleton. In turn, Miramar’s naval jet aircraft were to be sent to the Lemoore Naval Air Station in Northern California and Fallon, Nev.

Times staff writer H.G. Reza contributed to this report.