Great Park readies for takeoff

Paul Clinton

NEWPORT-MESA -- South County’s bid to substitute a Great Park for an

airport at the El Toro Marine base led at the polls late Tuesday night

with 54.4% of the vote.

With 726 of the county’s 2,094 precincts reporting, Measure W, the

Orange County Central Park and Nature Preserve Initiative, had a lead of

54.4% to 45.6%.

The measure, if it gets final voter approval, would rezone the closed

El Toro base from aviation to open space.

At an election-night party at Villa Nova in Newport Beach, airport

supporters nervously watched early returns showing Measure W leading.

“I’m like the rest of you,” Supervisor Jim Silva said to the assembled

crowd. “I’ve got my fingers crossed.”

Silva, who represents Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, has joined

colleagues Cynthia Coad and Chuck Smith in pushing for an airport at the

base.

The eight-year effort by the board majority would hit the skids if

Measure W is sealed with Tuesday’s vote.

Initiative supporters said they were confident their initiative would

pass, ushering in a new era in the county.

“South County has always felt that we don’t need two airports in

Orange County,” said South County spokeswoman Meg Waters. “We’ve got more

important things to do in Orange County than to go forward with something

divisive.”

However, airport boosters are vowing to fight on. Airport Working

Group executive director and attorney Barbara Lichman promised to

challenge Measure W.

“Very soon,” Lichman said, when asked when she would file a court

challenge. “We’ve already prepared the language.”

Airport boosters would challenge the initiative on the same grounds

they used to successfully overturn Measure F. The initiative promises a

park it can’t deliver, Lichman said.

At Villa Nova, when the first results flashed across television

monitors, members of the Airport Working Group worked to boost morale.

Absentee ballots showed the measure leading by a 56% to 44% margin.

“If that’s the best they can do, we’ve got a real shot here tonight,”

said Richard Taylor, a working group board member. “You should stick

around for one of the biggest upsets in this county.”

Election returns didn’t match Taylor’s optimistic attitude as the

final precincts were being counted.

In other races, Newport-Mesa incumbents led handily. With 121 of the

483 precincts in his district reporting, Silva had secured 97.6% of the

vote. A write-in candidate had managed 2.4% of the vote.

Rep. Chris Cox, in the race for the newly constituted 48th District

seat, led two Republican challengers with 107 of the 590 precincts

reporting. Cox had secured 89.2%, while business manager David Cobert had

7.2% and television producer Dave Forman had collected 3.7% of the vote.

Cox is set to face Democrat John Graham, who was unchallenged, in the

November general election. Libertarian Joe Michael Cobb will also be on

the ballot.

In the 46th District race, incumbent Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher

will also head to November to face Democrat Gerrie Schipske and

Libertarian Keith Gann. None of the three was challenged.

The two state assemblymen who will represent Newport-Mesa also moved

on without challengers. Ken Maddox will face Democrat Al Snook and

Libertarian Douglas Scribner in the race for the 68th District seat. The

winner of that race will represent Costa Mesa.

Assemblyman John Campbell, who represents Newport Beach, was also

unchallenged. Campbell will face Democrat John Kane and Libertarian John

Studier in November.

* 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 .