Cox unveils El Toro sell-off

Paul Clinton

NEWPORT-MESA -- With the Great Park initiative’s victory still fresh

on the books Wednesday, a local congressman made a stunning announcement

that the Navy would quickly begin selling off the base in pieces to the

highest bidder.

By approving Measure W with nearly 58% of the final vote, Orange

County residents repudiated the county’s eight-year effort to build an

airport at the base.

That repudiation grew even greater Wednesday morning when Rep. Chris

Cox, who represents Newport Beach, said much of the land at the base

would be auctioned off by the Navy.

“At long last, the decision on an El Toro airport has been

definitively made,” Cox said. “No aviation use will be further pursued by

Washington.”

Cox, who has worked closely with the Navy to negotiate the hand over

of the base to the county, said the sale of the land parcels would

benefit “our men and women in uniform.”

Navy officials confirmed their intentions in a Wednesday statement.

A federal environmental analysis of the reuse of the base will be

released on Friday, the statement said. That document, Cox said, would

hew closely to Tuesday’s approval by voters of Measure W.

“[The report] has been written to comfortably comply with Measure W,”

Cox said.

The Navy will announce its decision about how to dispose of the base

before April 23, the statement said.

“If the Navy’s decision is to dispose of this property, the disposal

will be accomplished by means of a public sale,” the statement said.

“This course of action will best meet the mandate of base closure law to

return this property to productive use by the community.”

City leaders in Newport Beach said they weren’t surprised by the

announcement and are already shifting their focus to nailing down the

flight restrictions at John Wayne Airport.

The eight-year effort to build an airport at the closed El Toro Marine

base is basically over, Newport Beach Councilwoman Norma Glover said.

“The bottom line is that Irvine is going to be a very rich city

because they are going to get a lot of that land,” Glover said. “The best

thing Newport Beach can do is concentrate on the John Wayne settlement

agreement.”

South County leaders were jubilant about the win, but also said it

should be used as an opportunity to break bread with Newport Beach. The

airport debate has divided the county since 1993, when the base was

tabbed for closure.

“I would hope we’re going to have a healing process,” said Allan

Songstad, the chairman of a group of South County cities that has been

working to stop the airport’s development. “We would very much like to

see the end of this.”

The blow to the county’s airport plan on Tuesday came on two fronts.

Voters not only approved Measure W 57.8% to 42.2%, they turned

pro-airport Supervisor Cynthia Coad out of office. Fullerton Councilman

Chris Norby, who opposes an airport, won that seat.

Supervisor Jim Silva had also indicated he would abandon the airport

plan if Measure W passed.

“The airport is dead for at least four years,” said Assemblyman John

Campbell, who represents Newport Beach. “The best use for the property is

to see what the market wants to do with it.”

* Paul Clinton covers the environment and John Wayne Airport. He may

be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail ato7

paul.clinton@latimes.comf7 .