O.C. Shows 4 Directions for Future of El Toro

Moments after the four long-awaited proposals for converting the El Toro Marine base into a commercial airport were outlined Friday, a key county supervisor declared that he will support only one of them--the smallest.

Supervisor William G. Steiner’s stance raised the prospect that an airport at El Toro would handle almost exclusively domestic flights and not be a full-service international facility.

Steiner, part of the three-member majority that has supported an airport at El Toro, said he favored Option A, which would create a facility to service the United States, Canada and Mexico and handle 19 million passengers per year. Such an airport would be half the size county planners have been discussing.

The proposal would leave Orange County with no direct flights to Europe, Asia and South America; John Wayne offers only domestic service. The plan is unlikely to satisfy many airport backers, who had hoped an international airport at El Toro would boost trade to Asia and Latin America.

The other three plans would create a truly international airport:

* Option B calls for an airport handling 28.8 million passengers.

* Option C would serve 24 million passengers and include a costly people-mover rail system.

* Option D proposes the largest airport, handling 33.5 million passengers and eliminates all commercial service at John Wayne Airport.

Steiner, however, said he considered those proposals either too large or unworkable. He said he is willing to support an airport serving as many as 25 million passengers. But he said that Option C was not viable in part because of the hefty cost of the people-mover system, estimated at $300 million or more.

“An airport for 25 million passengers or less is my clear preference,” he said, after a news conference at John Wayne Airport where the four proposals were unveiled.

“I think it would go a long way toward meeting the market demand for more flights,” Steiner said. “I am not willing to ask more of the residents in the South County who live around the base.”

Steiner’s position is crucial because any airport plan requires the support of at least three supervisors. Supervisors Tom Wilson and Todd Spitzer oppose the airport and are likely to vote against any aviation plan. Board Chairman Jim Silva and Supervisor Charles V. Smith are strong El Toro backers but have yet to say which option they prefer.

The board will review the proposals on Tuesday, and some airport supporters have urged Steiner, Smith and Silva to unite behind one plan so that the public has a clear idea of exactly what kind of airport is being proposed.

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Under state guidelines, supervisors have until the summer to select one proposal as their “preferred alternative.” The county will then conduct environmental impact reports on all four. The board will vote on a final airport plan in the fall of 1999, when the Marines leave the base.

Many El Toro boosters have been pushing for an international airport along the lines of Option B, which would serve 28.8 million passengers per year.

“Having international flights seems like a natural market for Orange County,” said Stan Oftelie, executive director of the Orange County Business Council. “We need to reach NAFTA countries [in Latin America] and particularly for cargo to reach the Pacific Rim.”

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But airport opponents reject all four plans, saying they continue to back their own proposal to build offices, homes, a university and parks at the 4,700-acre base.

“From an environmental impact to the local community, our plan is far superior,” said Irvine Mayor Christina Shea.

The four options are all smaller than the 38-million-passenger airport the Board of Supervisors approved in 1996. All would still serve almost three to five times the passengers handled by John Wayne Airport, but only one-third to one-half the number currently flying in and out of Los Angeles International.

All the proposals call for commercial developments meant to attract international corporations, high-technology firms and cutting-edge manufacturers. These developments would be linked to the El Toro airport terminal by a rail system and would be surrounded by open space and golf courses.

“We must develop Orange County into a global gateway and not limit ourselves to a domestic dead-end,” Supervisor Smith said. “The need is clear, the project is right, and the time is now.”

Under Options A and B, the number of passengers handled by John Wayne airport would drop by 10%-20%. Under Option C, John Wayne’s capacity would rise by about 20%. Under Option D, John Wayne would handle only general aviation.

Option D faces the biggest hurdles because supervisors have long opposed the idea of mothballing John Wayne, especially after opening a $310-million commercial terminal less than a decade ago.

The county will begin a series of presentations to the public about the proposals beginning Monday at 4 p.m. at the Hall of Administration. The Board of Supervisors will review the plan Tuesday at 9:30 a.m., also at the Hall of Administration, where they could endorse one of the plans or postpone a decision until summer. On Wednesday at 7 p.m., the county will hold an open house to explain the plans at El Toro High School, hosted by Supervisor Spitzer.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

County Envisions El Toro

Supervisor William G. Steiner, part of the three-member majority that supports an airport at El Toro, says he will vote for the smallest of the four detailed proposals unveiled Friday. Steiner’s choice, Option A, would create an airport handling 19 million passengers with a small number of international flights.

How the Four Plans Compare (in year 2020)

*--*

A B C D % aviation space 43 47 48 49 % nonaviation space 57 53 52 51 Avg. daily trips* 220 283 276 257 Daily jet operations** 513 669 492 787 Annual passengers*** 19 28.8 24 33.5

*--*

* Thousands of vehicle trips to or from airport

** Includes domestic and international passenger and cargo

*** Millions

Source: County of Orange

* A, B, C or D?: A look at the plans proposed for El Toro. A19

* NOISE CONTROL: Plan A limits airport’s effect. A19

* JOHN WAYNE: What about O.C.’s other airport? A20

Plan A: Least Noise Impact

Under the plan preferred by Supervisor William G. Steiner, the areas most heavily affected by noise would include Leisure World and Portola Hills. The entire “airport community” the county is proposing to build around the airport would be inside the noisiest boundaries.

DECIBEL LEVELS

Decibels are units used to measure intensity of sound. If you were in a house, here’s how the decibel levels would compare to other noises:

60: Normal indoor conversation within 3 feet

65: Activity in a busy, noisy office

Source: County of Orange