Seeing Red Over ‘Lean, Green’ Plan

* Re “ ‘Lean, Green’ Plan for El Toro Unveiled,” Aug. 28:

It’s obvious now that the El Toro conversion crowd is showing signs of panic.

Now that their arguments have fallen by the wayside, the city of Newport Beach has hired two propaganda spinmeisters to fool the gullible into thinking that an international airport is a good neighbor.

The supervisors have so little respect for our intelligence in South County that they think by calling the dead zones around El Toro “green belts” and “riding trails” we will all sigh in relief.

Since the commercial development plan surrounding the conversion of El Toro won’t fly any better than the airport plan, the supervisors are suggesting with a straight face that the perfect place for golf courses, riding and hiking trails are around major international airports.

Those not currently in a coma may realize that there are no golf courses, riding or hiking trails immediately around LAX. The pollution from just one 747 during takeoff has been compared to igniting a gas station and flying it overhead.

Imagine that scenario every 20 seconds. At least this confirms that none of the pro-airport supervisors hike, ride or play golf. Otherwise they wouldn’t have made such patently stupid suggestions to those of us that do.

I have a suggestion for those supervisors. How about moving the county seat of government to the proposed “green” section under the takeoff pattern at El Toro?

Since it is so pastoral, this must be a perfect place for them to discuss county government. At least when we go to the meetings we won’t be able to hear them speak this garbage over the roar of the jets. That’s some improvement, I guess.

RONALD O. DAVIES

Laguna Hills

* A new “lean, green” county plan for an El Toro airport was unveiled this week. Just what I want to do: try to putt with a 747 landing overhead or romping through sylvan glades poisoned with pollution.

Thomas Mathews, the county’s director of planning and development, said that with the new county plan, “The county will focus on what it does best--that is build airports, roads and maintain parks.”

Building airports is one of the primary functions of a county government? How about the efficient use of resources--especially after the embarrassing bankruptcy debacle?

It is more efficient to expand an existing airport--John Wayne (where volume is down, by the way)--than spending billions in creating a new airport.

This issue is not about efficient use of resources but removing an inconvenience for Newport Beach, enriching fat-cat developers, and destroying South County.

CHARLES HASTINGS

Lake Forest

* Yes, I can just envision people flocking to the open space and parks surrounding the new airport, perhaps for a serene picnic or a relaxing jog along one of the trails. There’s nothing like the deafening roar of jumbo jet engines or the sweet scent of aviation fuel to help one relieve the stresses of urbanization.

This new proposal is so ingenious in fact, that Thomas Mathews and his staff shouldn’t just limit their expertise to Orange County’s planning efforts. The staff of Yosemite National Park has been working on a new master plan for years; I’m sure it would welcome the vision and imagination displayed in this latest “concept” for El Toro.

I’m willing to bet that, if given enough time and money to waste, Mathews and staff can produce another astonishing solution for Yosemite Valley. Perhaps a military bombing range in the meadows adjacent to Yosemite Falls.

PAUL RICH

Costa Mesa

* Look at John Wayne Airport, LAX, Lindbergh Field in San Diego and others hemmed in by residential and commercial development.

I work at LAX. We are constantly getting complaints about noise from residents and businesses around the airport, even as we work to provide for a safe and efficient flow of air traffic into and out of the airport.

Due to noise restrictions, departures are delayed on a routine basis, since we can’t ask them to turn immediately after departure. When departing over the Pacific Ocean, all aircraft must fly runway-heading until after the shoreline.

This means that instead of just having a one-mile requirement between most aircraft, there must be three miles or more between all aircraft departing the same side of the airport.

Visual separation may be used when the weather permits. Between midnight and 6:30 a.m., departures and arrivals are pointed at each other.

On the other hand, at Chicago’s O’Hare, Denver’s new international airport, and Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport, for example, the planners have realized that there can be no development of a kind that would reduce noise complaints and restrict the safe and efficient flow of air traffic.

Departures are able to turn as soon as it is safe, therefore requiring only one mile of in-trail spacing between most successive departures, which equates to less delays, and a lot less pollution. El Toro is a godsend for our communities here in all of Orange County, whether north or south. In a few years, John Wayne Airport will prove to be too small to handle the increased demand for air travel in the area.

Planning must begin now for expansion of John Wayne--a nearly impossible task--or the development and construction of a new, bigger airport. What a concept. We have one already half constructed: five runways, lights, navigational aids, taxiways, ramp space and open space.

DAN TRACY

Costa Mesa

* I’m pleased to see that the planners are backing down from their original airport plan and trying to scale down on the commercial development.

But it doesn’t do anything to eliminate the constant barrage of flights that will be flying over Orange County 24 hours a day. Has anyone on the Board of Supervisors considered limiting the hours of flight operations so residents can at least sleep peacefully at night, as they do at John Wayne airport?

Who knows, we might even get safer skies in the process.

COLLEEN NELSON

Orange

* Quote after quote from South County anti-airport activists complained about the traffic that the county’s El Toro Airport Plan C would create.

Now that the county altered the plan and relieved concerns, are they happy? No, they just find ways to spin the information so they can use it to criticize airport plans.

They have become extremists whose biased remarks cannot be counted on for accuracy regarding the El Toro reuse issue.

ANN OLSON

Anaheim