Davis Vetoes Tustin Base Bill

Gov. Gray Davis has vetoed a bill that would have made it easier for Tustin officials to begin redeveloping the closed Tustin Marine base, the latest twist in an ongoing fight over the city’s refusal to provide land for two Santa Ana school districts.

The governor said Sen. Ross Johnson’s bill was “premature” and that it was the “responsibility of interested local agencies to work together toward an agreement on redevelopment plan.”

The Santa Ana Unified School District and Rancho Santiago Community College District are fighting the city’s reuse plan for the base, which still lacks federal government approval.

Johnson, in a prepared statement, said Davis’ veto “puts the entire base reuse in jeopardy.” The bill would have allowed the city to circumvent regular bidding procedures and simplify the selection of architects and construction firms.

“The federal government has given Tustin a seven-year window of opportunity to complete the necessary infrastructure improvements” at the base, said Johnson (R-Irvine). “Without [his bill], it is questionable this can be accomplished.”

Tustin officials could not be reached for comment late Wednesday after the veto was announced.

Last month, the Santa Ana school districts attempted to force Tustin to give up land on the base through a bill being pushed by Assemblyman Lou Correa (D-Anaheim) and Sen. Joe Dunn (D-Santa Ana). Despite passage in the Assembly and support in the Senate, the bill failed to reach a vote in the final minutes of the legislative session when it was blocked by Johnson.

Correa said he asked Davis to veto the bill because of the ongoing denial of space at the Tustin base to the Santa Ana districts.

The city wants to build homes, a commercial complex and a golf course on the nearly 1,600-acre base as a way of replacing the economic activity lost by the Marines’ departure. The rest of the base would be used for parks, homeless housing, a school site for the South Orange County Community College District and schools for Tustin and Irvine.

The two Santa Ana school districts originally were given 75 acres on the base but the city submitted a new plan denying them space.

The city argued that the land they wanted is too valuable for commercial development and is needed to provide funding for the roads, sewers and utilities necessary for redevelopment.