Good night, El Toro airport fight, sleep...

Good night, El Toro

airport fight, sleep tight

After so many years of turmoil, it is really time to end all of

the letters about the pros and cons of an airport at El Toro Marine

Corps Air Station. As a resident of Newport Beach, and as a longtime

observer of Orange County, I have been approached over the years by

sincere people on both sides of the issue. Many times, these people

have been literally in tears, so I know how strongly they feel.

The reason the issue has been such a difficult one is that three

separate issues have been rolled into one. These three issues are:

John Wayne Airport. As it has grown over the years from a small

recreational airport to a rather large commercial airport, John Wayne

has indeed impacted numerous residents of Newport negatively.

Some of my best friends live directly under the flight path, and I

sympathize with them. Their lives would be made easier if the airport

could be closed or at least held to its current size. The airport has

recently been approved to grow somewhat more, and I understand

residents’ fear that future growth might be ahead if some relief is

not provided.

So, even though its nearness to the residences and business makes

it one of the most convenient airports in the nation, John Wayne

Airport is a current and future problem. And that is an issue in

itself.

The former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. No professional

planner in his or her right mind, flying a helicopter over Orange

County -- the second most dense county in the nation -- and looking

down at the 4,000 acres of open space that is the former Marine base

would say, “Now there’s a great spot for a major commercial airport.”

Major airports are located way outside of densely populated

cities. I have driven from the new Denver airport’s car rental

facility for 30 minutes before coming to any development. Forget that

El Toro was a base for military aircraft throughout the 1940s, ‘50s,

‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. That was then, this is now. El Toro is a

miserable sight for an airport, and that is the end of that issue --

period.

The economy. Yes, a major commercial airport would be a help to

Orange County’s economy, but so would oil wells off the Newport Beach

coast or an atomic plant at Mile Square Park. Orange County will have

to do without another airport because there is nowhere in this

heavily populated, 786-square-mile county for much more development

of any kind. Orange County’s economy will prosper quite well without

an airport, oil wells or an atomic plant -- but that again, is a

separate issue.

Yes, during the coming years, we will have to concentrate our

efforts on the issues of John Wayne Airport and on the issue of

Orange County’s economy. But the issue of an airport at El Toro

should never have even come up. Now, let’s put the issue to bed.

MARTIN A. BOWER

Newport Beach

Budget problems stem from how money is spent

In response to “Here are some ways to trim the fat in Costa Mesa”

in the Community Forum section, March 20:

Larry Parker, a former aerospace executive, suggests that the

budget solution lies in discontinuing services such as the Airborne

Law Enforcement program, park patrol, and Code Enforcement while

continuing to keep these people on payroll. Well, at least we know

what happened to our aerospace industry.

Our budget creep -- 40% in five years -- is driven by Costa Mesa’s

uncontrolled urbanization. This one aspect is further aggravated by

our city’s history of spending outside of the community for

contracted services. Change this, and spending returns to the city as

taxes and fees. Additionally, if we discontinue code enforcement, we

will experience a second symptom of uncontrolled urbanization:

blight.

Our budget problems are less about how much is spent and more

about how it is spent. For example, many of us would prefer more park

patrols, perhaps at the expense of the Parks and Recreation

Commission programs such as flute lessons.

MIKE BERRY

Costa Mesa

Lido Marina is better site for hotel that Marinapark

The idea to replace Lido Village with an upscale hotel is the best

anybody has had in a long time.

By allowing a luxury hotel in this already upscale location, the

revenue- hungry city wont have to sell out the veterans and the

scouts and turn our public property heritage at Marinapark over to a

developer, who stands to make millions at the public’s expense.

A Lido Village hotel would complement the proposed “bay walk”

along Mariner Mile. A small hotel and a few time shares would reduce

traffic and would have les overall impact than what’s currently here.

Lido Marina Village is privately owned, not public property, and

the owners should have the right to develop as they wish, as long as

their plans are not detrimental to the city or surrounding residents.

A point the developers should consider regarding these proposed

“five-star” hotels for the peninsula is that it is not a case of

build it and they will come. Rich people who can pay $1,000 per night

for a room don’t take vacations on the Newport peninsula. They

vacation in Maui, or St. Martin, or Monaco.

The peninsula isn’t attracting the “five-star” crowd it wants. It

attracts the day visitor from inland and the low-end, late-night

party crowd. “Five star” vacationers don’t come to places known for

rehabilitation houses, rowdy partying, tattoo parlors, polluted, cold

water, beach yards and boat yards.

If the city ever hopes to attract a high-class crowd to the

peninsula, in addition to a high class hotel, it needs to do

something about the blight.

ROBERT WALCHI

Newport Beach

Taking a closer look at marriage rights

I am writing because I am concerned about a movement that is

happening all across America, which has been reported in the Pilot.

So far, the media has been very biased in their reporting and have

shined a positive light on this issue. I am writing about homosexual

activists.

They are not only trying to obtain marriage rights, as we have

read about lately, but are trying to redefine marriage altogether.

Think about it. Where would it end? The people in California voted on

Proposition 22, defining marriage as being between a man and a woman

only.

YOLANDA ARREOLA

Costa Mesa