New Supervisor Will Seek Delay on El Toro Vote

In his first act as a county supervisor, Thomas W. Wilson on Friday promised to seek a postponement of Tuesday’s crucial Board of Supervisors’ vote on a proposal to build a commercial airport at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, buoying the hopes of South County residents opposed to the plan.

More than 250 residents who gathered in the auditorium at Leisure World Laguna Hills greeted Wilson’s promise with applause, but it wasn’t long into the meeting before the newly appointed supervisor was confronted with the burden he now bears as the board’s only South County resident.

“You will not be given a honeymoon period. You need to hit the ground running,” warned Toni Leance of Aliso Viejo, who went on to voice the popular belief that three of the five supervisors will vote to support an airport at El Toro despite widespread opposition in South County.

Heeding her message, a confident Wilson advised her the fight is not over.

“I’m going to do everything I can to live up to those expectations,” Wilson said. “But I don’t agree with you [that] it’s a 3-2 done deal. I think I can demonstrate my leadership abilities on Tuesday by doing something you like.”

After the meeting, Wilson said he believes a “delay is the way to go.” Asked whether his colleagues agreed, Wilson said: “I’m feeling confident, but I won’t know until we sit up there on Tuesday.”

At least one colleague, Supervisor William G. Steiner, said he is not interested in putting off the vote.

“I won’t endorse a postponement,” Steiner said. “It’s time to get down to business.”

Wilson received high marks Friday from residents and community leaders who attended a forum that was quickly put together following Wilson’s appointment by the governor Wednesday.

Some in South County, such as activist Bill Kogerman, had questioned Wilson’s loyalty to the airport opposition movement. But on Friday, Kogerman joined other elected officials, community leaders and airport opponents in closing ranks around Wilson and vowing to give him their support.

“Tom needs a lot of ‘atta boys,’ ” said Laguna Niguel Mayor Patricia C. Bates, whose competition for the 5th District supervisor’s seat caused tense feelings between her and Wilson. “He’s the new kid on the block,” she said shortly after the start of the two-hour meeting.

Given the possibility that supervisors might not agree to a delay, Wilson urged speakers at the forum to set aside emotion and provide him with suggestions on how to convince his board colleagues that the controversial environmental impact report they will review Tuesday is faulty and should be rejected.

Several spoke of how an airport’s pollution would hurt the area’s older residents, some of whom have respiratory ailments. Others questioned how an airport could be scaled back to make it more acceptable to neighbors when its selling point is the economic advantages of being large enough to attract up to 38.3 million annual passengers.

South County pilot Todd Thornton told Wilson the proposed runways were unsafe. Others said there were moral issues involved.

“It’s wrong because the people don’t want it,” said Steven Dominguez of Mission Viejo.

The board must decide whether to certify the environmental report and choose from one of three base reuse options: a commercial-cargo airport, a cargo-general aviation airport or a non-aviation, mixed use.

Orange County voters have twice endorsed an airport plan. The first, Measure A, was approved in November 1994 and amended the county’s general plan to allow for the development of a passenger airport at El Toro unless the project is found to be infeasible. Measure S, an initiative that sought to overturn Measure A, failed earlier this year.

If supervisors reject a commercial airport at El Toro, Orange County voters may be asked once again to amend the general plan, a factor that has received little attention during the heated debate over whether an airport belongs there.

In anticipation of Tuesday’s large turnout and because of complaints that working residents cannot attend the 1 p.m. supervisors’ meeting, the county has put together the following speaking schedule: Elected officials from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.; recognized groups opposing an airport from 2:30-3:30 p.m.; recognized groups supporting an airport from 3:30-4:30 p.m.; meeting break from 4:30-4:45 p.m. General public comments will begin at 4:45 p.m.