Locals fail to undo ‘F’

Greg Risling

NEWPORT BEACH -- Opponents of an initiative aimed at stopping the El Toro

airport promised to continue their fight despite what appeared to be the

measure’s resounding victory Tuesday night.

“This is not going to affect the airport issue at all,” said Bruce

Nestande, who chaired the anti-F group, Citizens for Jobs & the Economy.

“We’ll see [the airport] in the long run.”

Early results showed county voters heavily favored Measure F, which would

require a two-thirds voter approval for new or expanded airports,

hazardous waste landfills and jails in residential areas. At press time,

the measure was winning in a landslide with nearly 70% of voters

supporting it.

While the measure covered all three major land-use issues, the debate

over the airport -- which has split the county for the past six years --

captured the most attention from voters.

In spite of Measure F’s victory, opponents predicted the validity of the

initiative would be challenged in court. They believe a two-thirds

majority cannot be applied to land-use issues as outlined in the state

constitution.

“What time do the courts open in the morning?” asked Dave Ellis, a

consultant for the Airport Working Group, a Newport Beach-based

organization that opposes the measure.

Ellis and other Measure F opponents gathered at Villa Nova Restaurant for

what was supposed to be a celebration. As election results were slowly

released, opponents were gearing up for another battle.

“We’ll follow it up in court cases,” said Tom Naughton, president of the

group. “We’re optimistic in our goal to develop an El Toro that’s a

reasonable county airport.”

Attorney Richard Jacobs, who wrote the measure on behalf of the El Toro

Reuse Planning Authority, a coalition of South County cities opposed to

the airport, said the measure will be validated starting today unless a

judge issues a court injunction.

Jacobs also said the measure’s approval will prevent the county from

spending any more money advocating the El Toro project.

Nowhere was the election news more disappointing than in Newport-Mesa,

where support for an airport at El Toro is strongest. Staunch opposition

against the measure was evident locally, where anti-F stickers and signs

were prominently displayed on front lawns and car windows.

Two groups based in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa made a concerted effort

to defeat Measure F. Citizens for Jobs and the Economy, founded by

Newport Beach businessman George Argyros, pumped out thousands of fliers

and mailers claiming the measure was riddled with fallacies. Another

organization, the Airport Working Group, spent the past several weeks

hosting town hall meetings at local schools.

Their message in the campaign was twofold. First, they said that Measure

F -- though it would require a two-thirds majority vote for expanded

airports -- would not prevent John Wayne Airport from expanding as air

passenger demands soared in the next 20 years. And secondly, they said

public safety would be compromised if jails could not easily be built or

expanded in the county.

Many residents are worried that John Wayne Airport will be expanded if

the El Toro alternative is grounded. The worst fears have been

encapsulated in an environmental impact report that has been drafted for

an airport at El Toro. In it, two alternatives were included that propose

a major expansion at John Wayne -- one calling for the 470-acre airport

to serve up to 25 million passengers each year.

Members of the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority pledged to work with the

Newport-Mesa community to prevent John Wayne’s expansion. But many local

residents have scoffed at the idea, claiming their southern neighbors

will turn their backs on them eventually.

“We want this to be amicable where we can work together,” said Meg

Waters, a spokeswoman for the South County organization. “We welcome them

with open arms, but at the same time, we aren’t going to give up.”

Waters said voters overwhelmingly supported the measure because it gave

them the authority, not county officials, to make the ultimate decision

on major land-use issues.

“The measure struck a chord with people because it was honest and

straightforward,” she said. “It was the opposition who tried to confuse

voters. I think people across the county -- whether they are for or

against the airport -- feel the Board of Supervisors shouldn’t be making

these critical decisions about major projects behind closed doors.”