Supervisor votes with airport minority

Paul Clinton

NEWPORT-MESA -- Turns out, the airport debate is still full of

surprises.

In a stunning decision Monday, Supervisor Jim Silva joined his South

County colleagues in suggesting that the county’s international airport

plan be put to a public vote.

Silva lent his support to a motion, proposed by Supervisor Tom Wilson,

to delay finalizing the planning blueprint for an international airport

at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station until county voters approve it.

By supporting a public vote on the county’s airport, Silva broke from

the pro-airport majority on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. He

joined Wilson and Supervisor Todd Spitzer, who both have fervently

opposed an airport at the base.

In a second action, the board postponed final certification of the

environmental analysis until Oct. 16. In that 3-2 approval, Silva

returned to the pro-airport fold, which includes Supervisors Cynthia Coad

and Chuck Smith.

After the meeting, Silva said he hasn’t wavered in his desire to build

a commercial airport at the base.

“I still support the airport,” Silva said. “I’ll be out talking to my

cities to get a feel for what they want.”

The actions Monday further delay the certification of the

environmental report, viewed as a major step toward the construction of

the facility.

If it must go to a public vote, the county’s airport plan could be

further put into jeopardy. The Navy has indicated it would like to turn

over the closed base to the county, which holds a lease on it, in March.

Airport supporters said they were shocked by Monday’s development.

“I’m at a loss to be able to explain what occurred” at the board

meeting, Newport Beach Councilman Gary Proctor said. Certification of the

report “is already three years late. This has been delayed for so many

different reasons that I just don’t see any logic to what has happened.”

In 1998, South County leaders won a court victory against the county’s

first environmental report, Environmental Impact Report 563, which forced

airport planners to perform a major revamp. That revamp was incorporated

into the latest report, known as Environmental Impact Report 573.

Oddly enough, the two South County supervisors, Wilson and Spitzer,

both voted Monday against postponing the vote on the environmental

report.

Wilson, who represents Newport Coast, has publicly objected to voting

on the environmental report until the Federal Aviation Administration

releases a crucial air safety analysis.

That analysis was due Wednesday but was postponed indefinitely because

of last week’s terrorist attacks.

Newport Beach Councilman Dennis O’Neil also said he was surprised at

Silva’s vote.

“That seems totally inconsistent with his prior positions,” O’Neil

said. “It’s very shocking, very confusing.”

* Paul Clinton covers the environment and John Wayne Airport. He may

be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail ato7

paul.clinton@latimes.comf7 .