Residents offer mixed reviews to new airport plans

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- While not thrilled about a proposal to increase the

number of flights and passengers at John Wayne Airport in return for a

20-year extension of flight curfews, many of the city’s residents seem to

be willing to support the deal.

Under the agreement, which the Orange County Board of Supervisors

tentatively approved last week, the annual passenger cap would be raised

from 8.4 million to 9.8 million. Instead of 73 daily departures, 85

planes could take off from the airport and four new gates would be added

to the 14 that now exist. A 1985 settlement agreement establishing flight

and passenger caps, as well as nighttime curfews, is set to expire in

2005.

James Sachtschale, who lives in The Bluffs, about 1 1/2 miles from the

end of the runway, approves of the latest John Wayne plans.

“I don’t find that objectionable,” Sachtschale said. “I would rather

put up with this than thinking about what would happen if El Toro was not

converted to an airport.”

Backed by the City Council and the Airport Working Group, the proposal

to increase flights from John Wayne Airport has no direct effect on what

will happen to El Toro. But because opponents of a second Orange County

airport hope to kill the idea with a March ballot initiative, city

officials said they hope to complete a settlement agreement extension

before the spring.

Some in town said they didn’t agree with any increase in flights.

“It doesn’t enhance the area one iota,” said Richard Hilliard, who has

lived in Corona del Mar for more than 50 years. “All it does is drag it

down.”

Asked if he’d accept an increase in flights to prevent a complete

lifting of caps and curfews, Hilliard said he didn’t buy that argument.

A height limit on buildings in the city hadn’t prevented high rises

around Fashion Island either, he said.

But others countered that some flight caps were better than none.

“If that’s what it takes to get an agreement, I’m game,” said Tom

Hyans, a community activist who lives on Balboa Peninsula. “If they can

pull it off by doing that, I’m happy as a clam.”

And Phil Arst, a spokesman for last year’s slow-growth Greenlight

initiative and Airport Working Group board member, said he saw the

proposed increase as a “reasonable compromise.”

“I’m just hoping that South County people [who oppose El Toro] will be

similarly agreeable to compromises rather than sticking it all on Newport

Beach,” he said, adding that he would vigorously oppose increases in

flights beyond what’s now proposed.