D.C. grounds L.A.’s El Toro airport proposal

June Casagrande

The city of Los Angeles’ request that the federal government push for

an airport at El Toro has been answered with a firm “no” from

Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta.

U.S. Rep. Chris Cox, who represents Newport Beach and Costa Mesa

as well as much of southern Orange County, had asked Mineta to make

public the department’s position on El Toro. Mineta responded Tuesday

to a June 19 letter from the congressman.

“The Department of Transportation (DOT), including the Federal

Aviation Administration (FAA), does not intend to intercede in the El

Toro reuse process,” Mineta wrote.

In early June, a secret letter from L.A. Mayor Jim Hahn to the

federal government asking for approval to try to turn the closed

Marine base into an airport became public. The news sparked a new

round of hope and anguish in the ongoing airport debate.

Tuesday’s news came as no surprise to local leaders.

“It really doesn’t come as a surprise to me,” Newport Beach Mayor

Steve Bromberg said. “It’s consistent with what we heard months ago,

that the DOT wasn’t going to change their minds.”

Though local supporters of a commercial airport at El Toro might

think Mineta’s letter is bad news, Bromberg said that’s not

necessarily the case.

“In L.A.’s 37-page letter, they never laid out a plan for El Toro.

Interestingly, they never contacted Newport Beach. I called three

times to the L.A. mayor’s office and never heard back. ... So without

knowing what they had in mind, it’s hard to say what this means. It’s

conceivable that a flight plan at El Toro could send planes right

over Newport Beach. We had no way of knowing what they had in mind.”

Tom Naughton, president of the pro-El Toro Airport Working Group,

agreed that the news is no surprise. But it wouldn’t be a surprise

either to see Mineta change his mind, Naughton said.

“I don’t think Mineta can turn his back on something that is a

regional transportation issue,” Naughton said.

The Navy plans to sell the bulk of the base’s 4,700 acres in an

online auction in the fall. In 2002, county voters approved Measure

W, which rezoned the base for use as a central county park that

includes commercial elements.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport. She

may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.