Council votes to oppose Measure F

Jasmine Lee

NEWPORT BEACH -- The City Council may have started a trend this week when

it unanimously approved a resolution opposing Measure F.

The ballot initiative, which will be put before voters in the March 7

primary election, is designed to block the county’s proposal to build a

$2.9-billion airport at the closed El Toro Marine base. If passed,

certain projects, such as airports, jails and landfills, must be approved

by two-thirds of county voters.

Newport Beach Mayor John Noyes said the council’s action should come as

no surprise. The council has consistently supported the El Toro project,

especially to prevent the expansion of John Wayne Airport.

“We have to go on record opposing something that we think is wrong for

the county,” Noyes said. “I don’t believe, in my personal opinion, that

these types of initiatives are good for anyone.”

During the past year, the council has passed several other resolutions to

support an airport at El Toro.

This latest resolution states that, in addition to blocking a second

county airport, Measure F could lead to expansion at John Wayne Airport.

El Toro advocates have said that John Wayne could triple in size if the

county does not build a second airport.

The threat of uncontrolled growth at John Wayne has prompted the Costa

Mesa City Council to also consider a resolution to oppose the measure.

Costa Mesa has stayed out of airport issues, Mayor Gary Monahan admitted,

but is more than ready to join the fight.

The initiative would do nothing to stop expansion at John Wayne, Monahan

said. The Costa Mesa City Council on Feb. 22 will consider an

anti-Measure F resolution of its own.

“‘F’ is for failure,” Monahan said. “It fails Costa Mesa, it fails

Newport Beach, it fails the county,” he said.

Monahan said he and other council members are exploring other options to

support El Toro airport.

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District has also been less active than

Newport Beach in fighting John Wayne expansion. That, too, may change.

There will be a community meeting Tuesday evening at Kaiser Elementary

School in Costa Mesa to warn residents about the possibility of John

Wayne expansion. Similar meetings, hosted by the PTA, were held last

month at two Newport Beach elementary schools.

Concerned parents have rallied to garner support for El Toro and to fight

Measure F. School board president Dana Black said she was proud of the

parents for their hard work. She added that the school board will also

consider a resolution opposing Measure F.