Airport Debate Still at Full Power

I am amazed that Larry Agran and Stephen Smith (“Project ’99 Offers Alternatives to an Ill-Planned El Toro Airport,” Orange County Voices, July 28) are so opposed to having the county study El Toro to determine its viability as a commercial airport.

After all, they both point to scurrilous studies maintaining that the cost of conversion would be in the billions, and takeoffs would ruin their neighborhoods, the Irvine General Plan would be ruined and who knows what else.

If all that is true, why don’t they just sit back, let the county do its thing and come up against a brick wall. I think I know the answer: They know deep down it will work very nicely. Why? Because everything around El Toro was built to accommodate an airport.

The Irvine General Plan was designed to accommodate the noise from El Toro as the result of military operations there. All of the various elements (that’s planning jargon required by law) that make up the General Plan are designed to accommodate that airport.

But the planners did not stop with land use compatibility and noise elements. They included the transportation to and from El Toro, access to El Toro from all sides by virtually every means.

El Toro’s commercial airport detractors point to John Wayne Airport as the solution to the county’s long-range air transportation requirements. They’re always glad to point out that there is $250 million still owed to pay for the remodeling of the airport and maintain that the general public must pay off that obligation. That simply isn’t true.

Those bonds are non-recourse bonds, meaning that the bondholders must look strictly to airport revenues to get repaid. If the airport fails, they will own an airport. And it won’t cost the general public a nickel. What frightens the El Toro defenders is that they know that this kind of funding is also available for El Toro and that its conversion to commercial uses is but a small step.

The leaders of Irvine and surrounding cities would do well to closely examine their general plans, accept their responsibility for increasing the airport demand in this county and then attempt to negotiate some kind of a deal with the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Defense and the County of Orange to create a reasonable use of El Toro as a commercial airport to supplement an equally reasonable use of John Wayne. Together, those airports can preserve the sanctity of Orange County’s economy for the benefit of all of its citizens.

CLARENCE J. TURNER

President

Airport Working Group of

Orange County Inc.

Newport Beach

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* I found the piece by Larry Agran and Stephen C. Smith to be a real eye-opener. Throughout the El Toro airport battle of the past several years, I felt generally inclined to favor the building of a new international airport. I had no idea that John Wayne Airport was operating at less than 50% of its physical capacity.

Clearly, in the interests of economic common sense, we should remove the artificial legally imposed “cap” on the number of flights into and out of John Wayne Airport, while maintaining an overnight curfew to protect nearby residents.

This would have the multiple beneficial effects of meeting air travel demand in Orange County for decades to come, reducing air fares, and generating the parking fees and other revenues we desperately need as our county emerges from bankruptcy. While we’re at it, maybe we should expand John Wayne Airport a bit and include a few international flights--to Tokyo, to Mexico City and to London. John Wayne International Airport--I like the sound of it already.

LINDA FEFFER

Costa Mesa

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* Sign us up for the Project ’99 Task Force on Alternative Uses for El Toro!

Another Orange County airport? Forget it. What we need is a 21st century rail transportation system--for Orange County, for Southern California, and for America.

For the $5 billion that an El Toro international airport would cost (remember Denver?), we could build a 200-mph bullet train connecting San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Let’s build it!

ANGELO and MARILYN VASSOS

Irvine

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* Agran and Smith have pointed out several very valid points.

The alternatives mentioned have benefits that would not only enhance a broad surrounding area, but would also offer great economic advantages.

The cost of building an unneeded international airport would not only affect the people of Irvine and neighboring communities but all who live in Orange County. I think this kind of waste is something we cannot afford at this time, especially in the shadow of a crippling bankruptcy. Maybe there will be a time when another airport is needed. However, so long as John Wayne is well equipped to handle the capacity, I see no reason to afflict the problems and cost of building another airport on the people of Orange County at this time.

BRENDA EDIE

Foothill Ranch

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* Let’s face it. Big, noisy airports are very bad neighbors. Just ask the folks in Westchester, Playa del Rey and Inglewood--right next to LAX.

I agree with the goals of Project ’99. Why in the world would we want to spend billions of dollars to build an international airport at El Toro and be like Los Angeles? The noise, the pollution, the traffic--we came to Orange County to escape these problems.

LENA FRIEDMAN

Laguna Hills