Council to take second look at El Toro

Andrew Glazer

COSTA MESA -- The City Council is scheduled to take an official

stand tonight on whether to support county plans for a commercial airport

at the former El Toro Marine Corps base.

Airport discussions began at the council’s Dec. 6 meeting, but as a

jam-packed agenda forced the discussion into the early morning hours of

Dec. 7, the sleepy council delayed any specific motions related to El

Toro until tonight.

The council discussed whether to support Orange County Supervisor Cynthia

Coad’s proposal for an airport at the closed Marine base. The Orange

County Regional Airport Authority, a pro-airport group the city belongs

to, has supported Coad’s proposal.

Her proposal reflects four key points:

* A two-airport system with El Toro and John Wayne satisfying most of

Orange County’s demand for air travel.

* The airport at El Toro would primarily serve domestic flights, with

international service restricted to Canada, Mexico and Central America.

* El Toro would have the same nighttime flight restrictions as John Wayne

Airport.

* El Toro would support 18 million passengers per year by 2010.

Councilman Joe Erickson made an almost identical proposal last year. But

he requested restricting the annual number of passengers at El Toro to

8.4 million -- the same number as John Wayne Airport.

“It’s only fair to South County,” he told the council at the time.

City Manager Allan Roeder suggested combining elements of Erickson’s

proposal with Coad’s at the last meeting.

The new hybrid proposal was not available by press time, but Erickson

said it did not differ much from the proposal the council never voted on

when he submitted it a year ago.

At its last meeting, the council unanimously decided to oppose any

expansions to John Wayne Airport. Many flights leaving and arriving to

the airport pass over the city. Residents fear an increase in flights

would raise levels of noise and air pollution and make freeway traffic

unbearable.

Mayor Gary Monahan and Councilwoman Heather Somers said population growth

in Orange County will increase the demand for flights there. They fear

the county will be forced to expand John Wayne if it does not build an

airport at El Toro to meet some of the demand.

The City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. on Monday at City Hall, 77 Fair

Drive.