Measure F Backers Raise More Funds

Two groups promoting a March 7 ballot measure they hope will halt planning for a commercial airport at El Toro have collected $424,338 since January, according to financial reports filed Thursday with the registrar of voters.

The Safe and Healthy Communities Fund, run by Irvine resident Ed Dornan, took in $253,434 and had $28,752 left to spend, according to its report. Citizens for Safe and Healthy Communities, chaired by Laguna Hills attorney Jeffrey Metzger, collected $170,904 and had $512,747 left to spend, thanks to aggressive fund-raising in the last half of 1999.

The main group opposing the anti-airport initiative reported receiving a $300,000 loan from Orange County businessman George Argyros. The loan brings Argyros’ total to $487,000 loaned to the effort to defeat Measure F, which would require approval by two-thirds of voters before the county could build airport projects, large jails near homes or hazardous-waste landfills.

A full report for No on F--Citizens for Jobs and the Economy, the group Argyros formed to promote the airport in 1994, was unavailable late Thursday at the registrar’s office. Other reports unavailable included a third anti-airport group, Taxpayers for Responsible Planning, and for a second pro-airport group, Newport Beach-based Airport Working Group.

In another El Toro-related development Thursday, Irvine joined Lake Forest by filing a lawsuit against the Airport Land Use Commission, which the cities accuse of overstepping its bounds by continuing to restrict development around the former El Toro Marine base.

The commission last year agreed with pleas by county officials to keep homes and schools from being built near the base because of plans for the airport. The cities claim the commission lost its authority to control adjacent property when the base closed in July.