Cities Against a New Airport Dig Deeper

Committing ever-growing amounts to fight the planned El Toro airport, a coalition of eight south Orange County cities agreed Monday night to add $1.75 million to its budget for an aggressive marketing campaign.

The additional money raises this year’s total budget for the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority to $6.25 million--more than the amount the coalition has spent over the previous four years combined.

The financial boost comes at a pivotal time in the high-stakes war over converting the former Marine Corps air station into Southern California’s second-largest commercial airport.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to give final approval to the project in May, and the federal government is expected to deed most of the 4,700-acre base to the county late next year or early 2001.

“It is clear that the coming months probably will determine the outcome of this rancorous debate,” Paul Eckles, the coalition’s executive director, said in recommending the new round of city contributions. The amounts range from $175,000 to $525,000, although Laguna Woods, a small, new city, is exempt.

Officials with the anti-airport cities said they shared the desire to up the ante, a move suggested by Irvine.

“If it were any other issue than El Toro, it might be harder to sell, but each member of the city councils from our cities are united on this,” said Mission Viejo Councilwoman Susan Withrow, who chairs the eight-city authority. “Now is not the time to back down.”

The new spending calls for doubling to about $4 million what the authority plans to spend for marketing, including cable-television ads, direct mail and consultants. Financing for special events would jump by half, to $125,000.

Some anti-airport forces in South County have encouraged other cities to step forward to present a more united front. They worry that less-affluent residents in north Orange County could perceive the airport as a battle among the privileged.

Even airport supporters have said the danger of a backlash exists, particularly with so much public money being spent on the issue.

North County cities in general could lump prosperous cities like Newport Beach and Irvine together as elitists who say about airports, “Not in my back yard,” said David Ellis, a consultant working with a pro-El Toro group.

Irvine has emerged as the deepest pocket in the anti-airport fight, setting aside $2 million in January for its own attempts to derail the airport and pledging to spend even more. It also has funded much of the $5 million that the coalition has spent in the previous four years. And its share of the new spending would be $525,000.

On the opposite side, the city of Newport Beach has been the biggest spender, recently boosting its contributions to pro-airport groups by nearly $500,000. Orange County government is spending about $1 million a year on promotions for El Toro, including recent cable-television advertisements that drew counter-ads earlier this month by airport opponents.

With so much taxpayer money at stake, Irvine clearly has wanted more company--and better ammunition--on the front lines.

Last month, it hired a consulting firm that twice before has helped pro-airport forces. Forde and Mollrich in Newport Beach, which specializes in direct-mail advertising, helped persuade voters to approve the airport in 1994 and then stopped an attempt to rescind that approval two years later.

“Irvine was going to be undertaking a very significant public information campaign on its own; but when we looked at it, the feeling was that we could get more bang for our buck” through the South County coalition, Irvine Councilman Larry Agran said.

The stakes could rise even higher in March when Orange County voters are expected to decide the fate of a measure designed to ground the county’s airfield plans. The Safe and Healthy Communities initiative would require two-thirds approval by voters for any new or expanded airport, large jail or hazardous-waste landfill.

While government entities are forbidden by law from campaigning, both sides are expected to mount vigorous public education efforts promoting what they see as the best reuse of the base.

South County forces said their appeals to residents countywide will focus on the positive as well as the negative. While pointing out flaws in airport planning and disadvantages to building an international airfield, the marketing also will highlight the benefits of turning the Marine base into a residential and commercial development.

Airport backers said their message will continue to stress job creation and the county’s economic vitality.

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The Price of Battle

The El Toro Reuse Planning Authority, an eight-city coalition fighting plans for an airport at the former Marine base, will boost spending for an aggressive marketing campaign by $1.75 million. The group’s overall budget will rise to $6.25 million. Below are amounts the cities agreed to pay this year and the additional payments they will make:

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City Current Additional Dana Point $435,000 $175,000 Irvine 1,305,000 525,000 Lake Forest 870,000 350,000 Laguna Beach 435,000 175,000 Laguna Hills 435,000 175,000 Laguna Niguel 435,000 175,000 Laguna Woods 150,000 * Mission Viejo 435,000 175,000 Total $4,500,000 $1,750,000

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* Newest member city and exempt from additional payment.

Source: El Toro Reuse Planning Authority