El Toro Backer Elected to Head Airport Board

Orange County supervisors, divided over whether to build an international airport at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, broke with tradition to elect an airport proponent as chairman of the board.

The mostly ceremonial job would normally have gone to airport opponent Tom Wilson, who was vice chairman during the past year. Wilson represents southern Orange County, where there is widespread opposition to the airport project.

By a 3-2 vote on Tuesday, Wilson was passed over in favor of Charles V. Smith, a die-hard supporter of the airport. El Toro officially closes in July, and the board is scheduled to vote this fall on a final environmental impact statement for the plan.

“It is a sad day for all of Orange County,” Wilson said. “The El Toro virus has infected internal board politics.”

Business leaders, based mostly in northern and central parts of the county, have been pushing the project. Southern Orange County is mostly residential, with neighbors objecting mostly because of noise and traffic congestion.

The vote was split between supporters and opponents of the project, and majority members said the chair should represent them.

“I don’t disagree with Tom’s comments at all,” Smith said. “But as a member of the board’s minority, he would be under a tremendous amount of pressure by anti-airport people.”

Regional planners say the area will need facilities for nearly 160 million air passengers a year and much more cargo by 2020. Nearby John Wayne Airport has no international flights and serves about eight million passengers a year.

Los Angeles International Airport handles most of Southern California’s air traffic.