Possible El Toro airport lives, congressman says

Paul Clinton

NEWPORT-MESA -- Costa Mesa’s congressman has re-injected himself into

the debate over how to use the closed El Toro Marine Corps Air Station,

saying an airport could still fly.

Long a strident supporter of an airport at the base, Rep. Dana

Rohrabacher had backed away from an El Toro airport earlier this month,

saying he was “sick of the issue.”

Two developments have put the airport dream in jeopardy. Measure W, on

March 5, rezoned the land from aviation to open space. Also, Navy

officials announced Tuesday they would allow the land to be sold off to

the highest bidder or developed as parkland.

Coupled with the Orange County Board of Supervisors’ decision last

week to hand the bulk of the base to Irvine in an annexation bid, the

announcement, many officials agreed, has dimmed the lightbulb for any

operating air-traffic control tower at the base.

But Rohrabacher on Wednesday said those opinions were premature.

“[I disagree with] this idea that simply because at last there’s going

to be some movement on that carcass out there at El Toro that any

aviation possibilities are out,” Rohrabacher said. “Nothing will be done

that will preclude those aviation assets out there.”

The 4,700-acre base, of which 1,000 acres have been set aside for a

wildlife preserve, still have runways and a decaying network of

buildings.

The outspoken congressman also said Tuesday’s announcement isn’t as

significant as it seems. A Record of Decision, which was released

Tuesday, only signals the Navy’s intention about how the land will be

released.

The base must still go through what is known as a conveyance process,

the formal transfer of ownership.

South County leaders who mounted and passed Measure W discounted

Rohrabacher’s comments as unrealistic.

“That’s almost funny,” said Meg Waters, the spokeswoman for a

coalition of South County cities. “He can dream about it, but obviously

he’s sounding very desperate and not very rational.”

North County cities and pro-airport groups have challenged Measure W

in court.

If they win their appeal, or if another ballot measure can overturn

that initiative before the Navy conveys the land, then the airport plan

could breathe new life, Rohrabacher said. The Navy has yet to announce

when it plans to convey the land.