Reactions mixed on El Toro shelving

Jenifer Ragland and Jasmine Lee

NEWPORT-MESA -- Local city officials and airport activists expressed

mixed feelings Friday after Measure F forced the county this week to

suspend work on the proposed El Toro airport.

Reaction in the Newport-Mesa area ranged from criticism of county

officials to a lack of concern.

Airport plans were put on hold Thursday because the Orange County Board

of Supervisors on Tuesday did not approve funds for El Toro. Under

Measure F, overwhelmingly approved by voters in March, the county must

first conduct all environmental studies and hold public hearings before

spending any money to move forward on a commercial airport at El Toro.

Bruce Nestande, president of Citizens for Jobs and the Economy -- the

pro-airport group that led the anti-Measure F campaign -- said the news

was disappointing. He said county officials should have developed an

alternative course of action in the event that their efforts to

circumvent the initiative’s spending restrictions legally failed -- which

is what happened earlier this week.

“If it’s resolved Monday, then it hasn’t been a big deal. My point is, it

makes everybody look foolish,” Nestande said. “For public perception,

it’s certainly not positive at all. From a planning perspective ... an

extended delay would certainly be a tremendous effect.”

Nestande added that if the process is halted for long periods of time,

there could be serious problems in restarting the whole planning process.

But Newport Beach Mayor John Noyes said he’s not concerned that the

county has put the El Toro project on hold.

“I don’t have a problem with slowing down the El Toro process,” he said.

“I still believe that El Toro as an airport should be kept as an option,

if we’re going to be visionary and responsible elected officials.”

Former mayor and longtime Newport Beach airport activist Tom Edwards said

Noyes’ position was “unfortunate.”

“Frankly, in my opinion, this is just one more reason why the focus of

city officials in Newport Beach needs to turn to John Wayne Airport,” he

said. “The whole planning process on El Toro seems to be melting away.”

Edwards has laid out a plan that he thinks would work: creating a mutual

defense agreement between north and south county cities that would

legally bind them into spending money to fight both building an airport

at El Toro and expanding John Wayne Airport.

Costa Mesa Councilwoman Linda Dixon said she, too, wants to get as many

communities -- including those in South County -- on board to fight

expansion at John Wayne, and perhaps lobby for federal protection against

growth at the airport.

Her fight is not with El Toro, she said.

“I think the community has spoken -- Measure F is in place and I think

that what Costa Mesa has to be most concerned with is making sure that

there is no expansion at John Wayne,” Dixon said. “I’m not convinced that

Orange County wants an international airport.”

Noyes said he is still opposed to the idea of working with South County,

saying it wouldn’t require those residents to compromise anything. He

also said the threat of an expanded John Wayne Airport -- when the flight

restrictions expire in five years -- is “something we’re looking into.”

But Edwards is calling for more immediacy on the John Wayne issue.

“Regardless of how people feel about El Toro, they have to give focus to

maintaining the limits at John Wayne,” Edwards said. “The longer this

process goes on, the less likely El Toro is ever a reality.”

Anti-airport activist Bill Kogerman said South County groups are still

willing to work with Newport Beach and Costa Mesa to find a solution for

John Wayne Airport.

He said the county’s cautious actions in halting the El Toro planning

process have created a good opportunity for South County and Newport

Beach airport groups to discuss the conflict -- but without political

rhetoric.

“Whoever wants to accept the leadership of Newport Beach has got to step

forward,” said Kogerman, executive director of the Taxpayers for

Responsible Planning. “I don’t know who that will be, but I would suggest

they do it sooner than later.”