El Toro defeat hurt Surf City

Rex Ricks

In “Cooking up Controversy,” a passage read, “Pro-airport

activists who gave a presentation ... Cook blasted Orange County’s

plans for an El Toro Airport.” I was among those “activists” and

would like to offer some insight.

In 1994, I voted against El Toro because I actually felt sorry for

South County. But they totally lost my support when the El Toro Reuse

Planning Authority (a coalition of 12 South County cities) sent out

mailers decrying the ills of an airport, like “noise, traffic and

pollution.” Yet, the irony was completely lost on the El Toro Reuse

Planning Authority when they sent out other mailers promoting

alternatives like Long Beach and John Wayne expansion. So instead,

noise, traffic and pollution must be perfectly OK for North County

cities like ours, instead of pristine South County.

What was Debbie Cook ever thinking by sponsoring Measure W? Did

she really believe it would create a “tax-free world-class park” and

limit airport growth in this region? Despite her sponsorship,

Huntington Beach soundly rejected W with a 60% no vote and was the

county’s No. 1 anti-W city, producing nearly 25,000 nays.

Over in neighboring Costa Mesa, the Westside helped to oust a

sitting mayor due to her refusal to protect her citizens and support

El Toro. This revolt was due to them being subjected to increases in

Long Beach-bound jets. If anyone is curious about approaches over

north Huntington Beach, come see for yourself while playing a round

at Meadowlark Golf Course or having a picnic at Village View or Haven

View schools.

One of Debbie Cook’s stated reasons for sponsoring Measure W was

that “Southern California was way behind Northern California in

setting aside open space.” That’s indeed true.

However, there will actually be less open space and even more

explosive South County growth. In what was once the airport “buffer

zone,” and on the so called “great park” itself , there will be at

least 15,000 new homes, tons of office space, plus 50,000 people

added to Irvine’s population. Where are all those new Irvinites going

to drive to and fly from?

Try Long Beach and John Wayne. Opening those other airports’

floodgates simply puts more jets over our city. At Long Beach, 41

jets a day is the floor, not the ceiling. About 10 years ago, a

federal judge made the minimum 41 daily flights ruling based on what

was then noisier aircraft. Now that there will soon be 41 flights, a

yearlong measure of the “noise bucket” will be conducted.

Afterward, the airlines can legally demand more slots that fit

within the “noise bucket.” Daily flights could quite possibly go near

or exceed triple figures. Should Long Beach morph into another LAX,

it will surely transform Huntington Beach into another Huntington

Park and turn Surf City into Suffer City.

* REX RICKS is a Huntington Beach resident. To contribute to

“Sounding Off,” e-mail us at hbindy@latimes.com or fax us at (714)

965-7174.