Spending Takes Off in Battle Over Airport

With planning for a commercial airport at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station shifting into high gear, government agencies around the county are spending more public money than ever--either to promote or derail the project.

The County Board of Supervisors this month allocated $20.3 million for El Toro, much of it to pay the various consultants who are beginning to prepare detailed plans for the proposed airport. The total is four times what the county allocated last year.

The South County cities that oppose the airport are also putting more money into their cause. The budget for the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority, a coalition of eight cities, is increasing from $459,000 last year to $1.2 million this year. Most of the total will go to fund an independent non-aviation plan for the base.

Both sides strongly defend their own spending while questioning the bills being racked up by their opponents. But some observers expressed concern about the escalating cost to taxpayers, noting that higher spending by one side sometimes prompts the other side to spend more.

“Positions are becoming more polarized over time,” said Mark Baldassare, professor of Urban and Regional Planning at UC Irvine. “There is a lesser ability to have reasonable debate and more reliance on legal debate. No one is thinking of what is best for the county as a whole.”

The cities that belong to the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority--Dana Point, Irvine, Lake Forest, Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo and San Juan Capistrano--have already spent or allocated more than $1.5 million in the battle against the airport, according to financial records.

Irvine’s bill totals $772,735, including $9,000 in travel costs for elected officials who attended base-related meetings in Washington and elsewhere. The city plans to allocate an additional $488,000 over the next year.

Laguna Niguel has allocated $283,000 so far and expects to expend another $181,000 over the next year.

Planning authority officials said the increased contributions are needed to help cover the $1-million cost of creating a plan for the base that does not include an airport. Non-aviation uses for the 4,700-acre base range from developing office complexes to building a college campus.

“This is the thing we have been building up to,” Laguna Niguel Councilwoman Patricia Bates said of the non-aviation plan. “I don’t expect any uprising by our constituents for this. It’s not like we are not filling potholes. Our city is very affected by El Toro, and our voters overwhelmingly oppose an international airport.”

Lake Forest Councilwoman Kathryn McCullough said the $456,330 her city has allocated so far shouldn’t raise eyebrows.

“Our citizens have repeatedly and consistently said do whatever it takes,” she said. “The majority of our citizens . . . are saying fight the airport at all costs.”

Until now, the planning authority has spent much of its time scrutinizing the county’s massive environmental impact report on the base. Earlier this year, the group filed a lawsuit challenging the completeness and accuracy of the report. The case is pending.

With the non-aviation study, the group begins developing its own alternative plans for El Toro. “We are going from being reactive to being proactive,” said Peter Hersh, manager of land-use policy programs for Irvine.

Some South County leaders and anti-airport activists have criticized the county for what they consider the high cost of its airport plans. County officials originally estimated planning costs would be $13.9 million. But the final budget ended up totaling $20.3 million, with some of it covered by federal grants.

Supervisor Charles V. Smith said residents should also focus scrutiny on the spending by South County cities. “I think the people of the South County should know they are footing a substantial bill for these anti-airport activities,” said Smith, an airport backer. “I’m not sure people know how much is being spent.”

While cities near the base are most active, communities elsewhere in the county are spending money to support their interests on the airport issue.

Newport Beach, which strongly supports an international airport at El Toro, has already spent about $1.4 million on consultants, attorneys, travel and other costs.

“I think it’s money well spent,” said Newport Beach Councilman Tom Edwards, noting that residents see El Toro as an alternative to expanding John Wayne Airport.

The military is set to leave El Toro by 1999. While El Toro spending is on the rise, the totals represent a tiny fraction of the $1.4 billion officials believe it will cost to fully plan and build an international airport.

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City Spending

The county has allocated at least $25 million so far on plans to convert El Toro Marine Corps Air Station into a commercial airport. Eight South County cities opposing an airport have allocated or spent slightly more than $2.5 million in their efforts to block it. Here’s how the cities break down, through August:

City: Amount

Dana Point: $201,340

Irvine: 772,000

Laguna Beach: 121,000

Laguna Hills: 299,475

Laguna Niguel: 464,000

City: Amount

Lake Forest: 456,330

Mission Viejo: 286,000

San Juan Capistrano: 17,925

Total: $2,618,070

Sources: Individual cities; El Toro Reuse Planning Authority;

Researched by LORENZA MUNOZ / Los Angeles Times