Latest airport extension sells too much of Newport Beach

I remember being part of the negotiating team for Newport Beach

many years ago on the first John Wayne Airport settlement agreement.

We gave away a lot then. The county was supposed to find another

airport for the long-term relief on Orange County air passenger

demands. The county has not fulfilled its responsibility, while

Newport Beach continues with degraded quality of life in the form of

noise, jet fuel polluting the air and encroachments on the flight

path, while more and more airplanes take off overhead.

This past month, we have read in the news and watched on

television the Newport Beach City Council discuss John Wayne Airport.

They have reported what a great job they have done, in their opinion,

on a new agreement. This new agreement they agreed to is 9.8-million

annual passengers. They talked about how this new agreement would

stand up in any court and not to worry, folks, as they are taking

care of us.

Today, I read what a wonderful job they are doing for us at

10.8-million annual passengers (“Airlines agree to JWA cap

extension,” Thursday). When was this public hearing to increase by

25% activity at John Wayne? And what kind of party line is “increased

number of gates and passengers likely won’t have much effect on

Newport Beach residents?” Build it and they won’t come is not the

message most people understand.

Greenlight has been volunteering for months to give residents some

control over ground traffic by allowing a public vote on large

projects that exceed our general plan. Ground traffic is a serious

problem, but a 25% increase at John Wayne could be devastating. Other

cities also should feel outraged. And the airlines should not dictate

quality of life.

An increase to 18 gates and 9.8-million passengers a year is

enough.

EVELYN HART

Newport Beach

* Evelyn Hart is a former Newport Beach mayor.