El Toro and Possible Options

With all the problems generated by the plan to build an international airport at El Toro now that the Marine Corps Air Station is closing down, one wonders why no one has seen the simple solution that exists.

Of what use is a naval weapons storage facility at Seal Beach now that Long Beach Naval Base has closed and the Marine Corps is leaving South County? Of what use are weapons, if they now exist, in Seal Beach? They should be moved to San Diego or Seattle, where they are convenient to the machines for which they are intended.

Because the citizens in northern Orange County vote overwhelmingly to have an international airport in the county, why not accommodate them by petitioning the U.S. government to have the apparently useless facility at Seal Beach converted into an airport at that site? The land area is about twice the size of that at El Toro. It is flat, unlike the dangerous, mountainous terrain surrounding the base, and takeoffs would be over the ocean, a situation the airline pilots could not oppose as they now do at El Toro. Also, the people in South County would be happy, and air traffic at John Wayne Airport would be reduced to smaller aircraft, keeping the Newport Beach crowd happy.

So what about other air traffic in the area? Fewer and fewer flights now leave Long Beach Airport daily. They could be stopped with no big problems, and those flights could be transferred to Seal Beach. This leaves the California Air National Guard facility at Los Alamitos and what to do with it. The answer is simple and not expensive. Have the facility moved to El Toro, which is already suitable for a military training facility. The base would have more than sufficient space left over to meet other needs.

Now most citizens should be pleased and air safety enhanced.

How about it?

H.H. MINICK

Laguna Hills

* Attention all Orange County residents! I just solved the El Toro airport issue in only two words: Long Beach.

I used the Long Beach Airport for the first time last week because our two America West tickets, round-trip to Phoenix, were almost $300 cheaper than using John Wayne.

Long Beach is only 20 minutes north of John Wayne by car and we flew over John Wayne only five minutes before landing at Long Beach on our return.

Long Beach is quiet as a tomb, underused and, the best part, not in Orange County. That would make it a win-win situation for everyone, should we need to expand air transport facilities for the Orange County region.

The developers who are so hot to get their hands on the El Toro facility would have even more land to develop, since we all know they are not at all interested in investing in runway space.

The best part is that it would not involve Orange County taxpayers’ money unless we are specially assessed. And my property value might stand a chance of returning to its original value someday.

DELORIS ST. JOHN

Dana Point

* While I admire the tenacity of South County residents in their fight against El Toro remaining an airport, I find it tedious that they continue the same tired arguments, even when professional reports explain away their concerns.

Now they even refuse to accept the factual information presented in the recently released environmental impact report. Instead, their letters to the Times remain critical and uncompromising. They stubbornly refuse to embrace any facts that refute their arguments. South County residents must understand that it is largely the growth they created which makes the airport necessary for Orange County. Wouldn’t it be far more constructive to put time and energy into making sure El Toro has guidelines they and everyone else can accept?

CHARLES WRIGHT

Costa Mesa

* Instead of making the area a commuter nightmare and reconfiguring the environment to accommodate an international airport, let’s consider alternatives.

When, and if, an international airport is needed, locate [it] close to Camp Pendleton, easily accessible for both San Diego and Orange County. The area is not residential, is less developed, and the planes would take off over the ocean.

El Toro can’t accommodate commercial flights without carving into nearby mountains, but El Toro could be the designated airport for smaller private aircraft, which would eliminate the regular mix of these planes at John Wayne Airport, thereby adding a safety factor [there].

This is a huge decision for Orange County. When the plan is submitted to the Pentagon it can’t be sugar-coated, but must be inclusive of all the facts, including the negative effects that will take place as property values decline and traffic, pollution and taxes increase.

Citizens can only hope that the Orange County Board of Supervisors and the Citizens Advisory Committee realize they are members in government whose duty it is to represent citizens and their best interest. They cannot look the other way to further their career or grant favors to make a few wealthy. They must assume responsibility and accept the consequences of their acts. There is no substitute for ethics.

GLENDA MADDOX

Irvine