Exercising Their Options to Disagree on El Toro

The Times’ editorial, “Retain the El Toro Option,” Feb. 16, opined that Measure W needs to be rejected, coupled with the expectation that the county then provide for better leadership in dealing with the El Toro issue.

On the other hand, the editorial also stated that “regional decisions were traditionally dictated mostly by a moneyed elite with ready access to compliant county supervisors.” The sad fact is that this time-honored tradition is not going to change as demonstrated by the actions of the pro-airport majority and acknowledged in your editorial, which said the county, through ineptitude and arrogance, bungled the El Toro planning process.

The fact of the matter is the county has lost its credibility. The decision to determine their own destiny is now in the hands of the people of Orange County. The county must accept that decision by implementing its provisions.

Vote yes on Measure W!

Paul Willems

Laguna Niguel

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I agree with The Times’ decision to oppose Measure W and thus retain the El Toro option for an airport, but I believe an explanation is needed for why the county’s leadership has been at fault in the planning process.

Two of the three supervisors made it clear from the beginning that they opposed any airport at the El Toro site and were determined to stop the process. That declaration of war created a horrible atmosphere of secrecy, distrust and ultimate disaster.

If all five had worked together on the project, they might have reached reasonable compromises, and those responsible for the planning could have been more forthright in sharing their work, without fear of giving information to those who were searching for ways to sabotage their efforts.

The Times is right. If Measure W is defeated, a more reasonable, less ambitious airport solution must be reached by all parties for the sake of this county’s future. But if that is to happen, each of the supervisors must first be willing to go to the table with the goal of helping and not hindering the process, with an attitude of compromise and not contempt.

Jean Olson

Newport Beach

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Measure W doesn’t give Orange County a free park. All it does is rezone the land and eliminate El Toro as an airport option. This will guarantee a massive expansion of John Wayne (up to three times its current size and capacity), which will heavily affect many North County cities, including Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Tustin, Orange, Santa Ana and Anaheim. Airplanes will be forced to fly over neighborhoods that previously have escaped most of the effect of John Wayne Airport’s proximity to them. All Orange County cities (and the city of Irvine itself, ironically) will feel the effect as well, as Measure W opens the door to massive future development of the El Toro site and land around it.

A Feb. 11 Times article noted that two developments the Irvine Co. wants to build on vacant land next to El Toro would generate 358,000 daily car trips versus a maximum of 176,000 daily trips for the airport. If Measure W passes and the El Toro area is rezoned, these future residents, and more, will drive the freeways to John Wayne Airport and to LAX, increasing the risk of auto accidents significantly as they compete with the diesel tankers trucking fuel to John Wayne.

Residential and business communities will be demolished and multiyear construction projects commenced to make room for the expansion of John Wayne, creating even greater traffic jams. Take a look at the environmental impact report found in your local library if you’re doubtful of these facts (alternatives F and G).

Orange County residents need to know they are not voting for a park if they vote yes on W. They are voting to expand John Wayne, develop the El Toro site and vacant land surrounding it, and in the process dramatically increase air pollution, traffic, risk of air and road accidents, and decrease the quality of life for all Orange County residents. Vote no on W.

Cecilia Flanagan

Newport Beach

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The source of Orange County’s present and future economic prosperity has been, and will be, the quality of life and not the presence of an airport. The principal contributor to the increase in the value of our homes, one of our most significant investments, has been the quality of life and not the presence of a major transportation hub.

Recently, Dr. Gerhard “Rusty” Rostvold, a leading California economist, completed a study of the economic damages versus the economic benefits of an airport at the former El Toro Marine base. His conclusion is simple: The economic damages--measured in terms of the loss in the value of our homes, the loss of jobs, and the inability to provide additional housing so badly needed in this county, and other important indicators--total approximately $20 billion. This amount is more than two times the economic benefits of the area.

This does not measure the environmental damages such as noise, air pollution and traffic congestion. These damages would be even greater and would “destroy the quality of life currently enjoyed by more than 240,000 people living within the primary landing and takeoff pattern of the proposed El Toro airport,” Rostvold said.

In the next 20 years, the largest population growth in the five-county Los Angeles region will occur in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. There are four existing airports in these two counties with enough capacity to serve the growth in air passenger demand for the next half century. Let’s opt for a park and economic prosperity in Orange County.

Joe Brown

Mayor

City of Laguna Niguel

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Re “Most Voters Oppose El Toro Airport but Divide Over Park,” Feb. 24: In a desperate attempt to counter overwhelming public support for Measure W, pro-airport forces have falsely claimed the initiative will significantly raise taxes.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Proposition 13 requires taxes raised by local governments be approved by two-thirds of voters. That is the law. The taxes threatened by park opponents are just another dishonest pro-airport scare tactic.

El Toro has nothing to do with satisfying regional demand, cargo, creating jobs or taxes. What El Toro represents is a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for Newport Beach to finally be rid of John Wayne Airport, and nothing more.

The citizens of Orange County deserve a better plan than an airport for El Toro. Measure W is about the future, about hope, about our quality of life and about the legacy we will leave to our children.

The Orange County Central Park and Nature Preserve Initiative provides a monumental opportunity to create a dynamic public place for education, recreation and cultural life. It is an expression of the values we cherish and our capacity to transform a major public asset into a special place where nature, ideas and the human spirit flourish. On Tuesday, vote yes on Measure W.

Sergio Prince

Laguna Hills

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I’m concerned that many people in Orange County do not realize that the former El Toro base is the size of a city. It is absolutely huge. For that reason, great thought must go into the reuse of that land.

Measure W will rezone the property from airport use to that of a huge park, businesses and homes. That concerns me because the last thing this county needs is a major influx of new families to contribute to our already crowded freeways, schools, malls, etc. What we don’t know is the toll all of those new homes and businesses will take.

I’m voting no on Measure W to keep the county’s preferred plan in place. A moderate-size airport, golf courses, parks and open land is a far more reasonable and responsible solution for our future.

Jeanne Goodin

Huntington Beach

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Isn’t it ironic that in El Toro--the Bull--the people of Orange County are caught on the horns of a dilemma: We hate airports, their noise and pollution, yet we use airports and need them for business and personal travel. At the root of the seesaw battle over base reuse is our failure to address this as the conundrum it is.

Over the years you have printed countless letters from readers who decry the evils of an airport at El Toro while apparently finding no fault with an airport a few miles down the road at John Wayne, and who presumably would find it even less noxious were we to convert the Los Alamitos reserve center to a commercial airport. Conversely, many environmentally aware and concerned citizens who hate pollution and who fight for a clean environment believe that the need for an airport overrides issues of quality of life, and are willing to support it despite known damage to the environment.

Leadership has not been lacking. It has been nonexistent. While debate raged, discussion and consensus-building did not. Pre-emptive votes, manipulation and subterfuge have marked the entire process. Virtually no attention has been paid to slowing growth, even though the surge in development has added greatly to the number of potential users of an airport.

We have not looked at what the county needs and how El Toro can fit into a plan to improve life for all of us, not just those with the most power or money. We have not approached El Toro as a community-wide opportunity or problem to which our problem-solving skills could be applied.

I agree with The Times’ editorial. Even at this late date, we should pause, think and agree to keep options open. The good people of Orange County can surely do better than to let themselves be gored by the horns of El Toro.

Marge England

Garden Grove

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Re “Measure W Responses Could Cover a Runway,” (letters) Feb. 24: I agree strongly with Dan Summerl from Laguna Beach when he says there are several facts that people choose to ignore when the option of an El Toro airport comes into play. One is that John Wayne Airport operates at only half the capacity that it was built for. Knowing this, why should we build a airport when we don’t even use the one we have? Also, airports are a horrible thing when it comes to living peaceful lives. Would you want to live the remainder of your life with extremely loud noises every 15 minutes? I don’t think you would. By building this airport, the community is basically saying that we don’t care about the comfort or happiness of our people. That is just plain rude.

Overall, I think that there is no point whatsoever that we build this useless airport. It will cause only more controversy and turmoil, and we definitely don’t need that right now. Building the airport is certainly a waste of time, effort and money.

I hope everyone sees that this airport will lead to nothing but disaster, so vote yes on Measure W.

Monika Rothenburger

Dana Point