Proposed El Toro Airport: Ideal or No Deal?

In 1966, Marine Corps orders put my husband, Maj. Gen. Charles J. Quilter, in charge of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at El Toro. We lived on base in Quarters A for two years. What was it like?

It was like living in a small, self-contained village with all the amenities. Basically, I never had to leave the base for any services or shopping. I can’t think of what it lacked except a large hospital, but there was a very modern dispensary and small clinic.

In alphabetical order, let me list the assets: a Bank of America; barber and beauty shops in the Marine Exchange Mall; a bowling center; a chapel; an outstanding commissary and package store; and crash, fire and rescue units.

It had a credit union; a dental department; a golf course and tennis courts; a gym; a joint education center for adults with high school and university classes; a library; and the Marine Exchange, featuring everything from snack bars to a large assortment of basic necessities such as soap, toothpaste and vitamins to household wares, clothing, shoe and watch repair and auto rental.

In addition to officers’ and noncommissioned officers’ quarters, huge barracks housed single enlisted personnel. Likewise, there was housing for single officers and an officers club and enlisted club.

Add a child care center and a Red Cross unit. Add stables, swimming pools, a post office and a movie theater. Yes, there was a “brig” and a group of military police to patrol the base.

Who could ask for anything more?

When closure of the base was announced, I mourned. I oppose turning the base into an international airport. Why? Because the base could remain a village for so many reasons, including housing for low-income families, business offices, apartments.

To let all the other facilities go unused is a shame and a crime.

ELIZABETH QUILTER

Laguna Beach

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Re “El Toro Study Is Unrealistic,” in Jan. 23’s Orange County Voices:

The critique of the El Toro study by UC Irvine professors G.J. “Pete” Fielding and Amihai Glazer resonates like a slug faulting a snail for being too slow.

Using Tijuana International Airport would be an ideal solution if we could talk Mexico into ceding Tijuana to our state.

Otherwise, I cannot imagine that anyone would want to go through first the Mexican and then the U.S. customs and immigration services on even a simple domestic flight and struggle through the same again on the way home.

In addition, if the border crossing is already nearly impossible on the weekends, do the professors have a magic carpet to bring these prospective passengers from our South County to Tijuana in less than half a day’s time?

Certainly imposing on a friend to get you to and from Tijuana will be out of the question. The alternative may be paying more for the two cab rides getting there and back than for the airline tickets.

JOHN T. CHIU

Newport Beach

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Orange County is facing a dilemma much bigger than asserted noise from the El Toro airport: an insufficient infrastructure that could cripple Orange County in the near future.

Already millions of Orange County air passengers are using Los Angeles International and Ontario airports because John Wayne Airport is incapable of handling additional planes and passengers.

After the condemnation of 700 prime business acres, required to enlarge John Wayne, Orange County would still be left with an undersized, dangerous airport with no further room to expand.

Fortunately, the El Toro base does exist and will be the ideal place for international and cargo flights. John Wayne should be left as a commercial airport to continue servicing Orange County’s millions of passengers yearly.

El Toro’s 18,000 acres will provide an awesome park and airport. It would be a perfect blend of safe and quiet advanced aeronautical technology and a tribute to our foresight to provide the infrastructure necessary for Orange County to remain the jewel of California.

D.C. BARR

Costa Mesa

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The fight for El Toro has reached the dirty-tricks stage. Volunteers for the Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative distributed lawn signs encouraging residents to vote yes.

These signs have been paid for through contributions from residents. Of the many hundreds of signs that were posted, most have disappeared or were destroyed in Lake Forest, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Laguna Niguel and other cities.

While I understand that everything is fair in love and war, this latest attempt to frustrate the will of most Orange County residents is underhanded.

What will be next from those folks who continue to try to foist an unneeded 28-million-passengers-a-year airport on South County? Will we see the face of Charles Manson on fliers, as we did for Measure A?

PAUL L. HUTCHINS

Laguna Woods

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If the El Toro Marine base is converted into an international airport, we have an opportunity to reroute [passengers bound for] Anaheim and Disneyland from Los Angeles International and John Wayne airports to the new air facility.

All we would have to do is call it Anaheim International Airport. The city of Anaheim has wanted an airport of its own for decades, and this would cut the congestion at LAX and John Wayne Airport by at least one-third.

BILL BAXTER

Orange

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In the debate over the proposed El Toro airport, the fact that there are really two strong arguments against an El Toro airport gets almost completely overlooked.

Yes, one is noise, pollution, traffic, etc. The other is the economic benefit for Orange County.

Airport supporters always use the argument that Orange County will benefit economically from an airport. And they are right.

But the fact is that the airport alternative, the Millennium Plan, will generate far more economic benefit for all of Orange County than an El Toro airport ever will.

The Millennium Plan will bring many high-paying jobs to the county; the airport will bring low-paying jobs. In that context, a yes vote on Measure F means yes to world-class jobs in a world-class county.

A no on Measure F means less economic benefit and the introduction of a novel concept: to plan and build a brand-new international airport in the center of a densely populated county.

ACHIM KRAUSS

Foothill Ranch

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Many of my fellow South County residents have clearly and intelligently presented the many reasons why an international airport should not be built at El Toro.

However, one argument I have not seen addressed adequately is the jobs issue. With the county unemployment rate at its lowest in over 50 years, manufacturing on an upswing and technology companies vying for space in Orange County, it seems clear to me that we do not need the jobs that would be provided by an international airport.

Add to this equation the fact that our freeways and schools are overcrowded and that affordable housing is inadequate. Do we really need these new jobs? I think not.

MARYANNE ROSE

Laguna Niguel

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How is it that the good people of Huntington Beach are against the construction of a Wal-Mart store but for the construction of an international airport?

They cite congestion and noise. Don’t they understand how many high-paying jobs will be created?

R. L. MARLEAU

Mission Viejo

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There are times that too much information actually causes confusion. That is my evaluation of the airport issue in Orange County. Every week an El Toro airport-related issue dominates the local news, with both sides giving it their “spin.”

Gone is the common-sense logic that our county’s size, population, expected growth and lack of current airport capacity necessitate an airport on the large El Toro site.

Sure, communities around the proposed new airport will be affected. Most large public projects that benefit the majority have some negatives for a few people.

In this case, the affected people bought in that area knowing their neighbor was a Marine air base with noisy jets. Their complaints now must be examined with that in mind.

CAMILLE JENSEN

Orange

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Supervisor Smith thinks they haven’t done a good job educating the public. They have, and it’s distortions, lies and stalling for time.

Distortion 1: The new planes are so quiet they won’t bother South County. Fact: Smith witnessed landings, not takeoffs, and remarked that it was loud enough that some homes would need noise insulation.

Distortion 2: Home values will appreciate. Fact: Studies across the country show that home values obviously decline.

Distortion 3: Planes will take off uphill, with a tail wind, over a mountain and into Los Angeles International Airport airspace. Fact: The Federal Aviation Administration and pilots won’t allow this, as it’s not safe. Planes will take off to the southwest over Irvine and Tustin.

Distortion 4: John Wayne will not close. Fact: Planes taking off into John Wayne airspace will force it to close. It looks like Capt. Smith is out of touch with reality--or is he hiding it?

DAVE TALLMAN

Laguna Hills