Airport plans are still flying

Are you kidding?

Will it never end?

This time it’s the city of Fullerton pushing a new plan for an

airport at the old El Toro Marine Air Station. The city has its own

little airport and thinks it would be nice to run an airport in South

County. Of course, this adds to the already threatening proposal from

the city of Los Angeles. Officials there are still interested in

running the airport here. It’s a more dangerous prospect than the

Fullerton plan, with more people and money behind it.

If the Senate bill that Los Angeles is supporting is passed, it

will give the city eminent domain over the land, allowing it to

create an airport.

The greatest hope comes from the Navy, which hasn’t wavered on

plans to sell the property. The auction will be Jan. 5, and after the

property is sold, the chance for an airport is highly unlikely. Hmmmm

still too vague to allow for restful sleep.

Another morsel of hope comes from Rep. Chris Cox, who says the

Department of Transportation seems to have no intention of using the

El Toro property as an airport. That’s where some solace can be had.

From the inside, it looks like there’s no move by any federal agency

to scrap the Great Park plan and send planes roaring over South

County.

But we aren’t taking our eyes off the skies or the prize. The El

Toro Reuse Planning Authority is holding meetings, and some who were

involved in the past fight are brushing off the dust and jumping back

in. We’re not terribly concerned yet. It still sounds like more of

the same kind of talk, but we’re not about to turn our backs to get

walloped by the jet stream.