I wanted to respond to a statement made by Russ Niewiarowski in his Aug. 14 letter.
Mr. Niewiarowski reiterates the mistaken belief that an airport at El Toro “would not adversely impact any residents, schools or churches.”
Using my Thomas Guide as a reference, my home in Lake Forest is in approximately the same location in regard to the end of the eastbound runways of El Toro as the intersection of Santa Isabel Ave. and Santa Ana Blvd. in Santa Ana Heights is to the end of the runway at John Wayne Airport.
The one major difference in this analogy is that my home sits on a hill, several hundred feet above the El Toro runways. During the flight simulations last year, commercial airplanes taking off to the east flew so low past my home that I could see the top of the airplanes’ wings as they approached my neighborhood. There are also several hundred other homes located even closer to the runway than mine is. A church and a grade school are also located within a few blocks of my home.
I invite Mr. Niewiarowski and anyone else who believes that no one lives near the former airbase to come down to Lake Forest, drive along Trabuco Road from the Irvine Spectrum, and see the 1,000-plus homes that comprise Serrano Park and Serrano Highlands.
He also mentioned a “V-Plan,” where all flights would be “far removed from any residential communities.” Since no airport could be built in the heart of Orange County and still have all flights be “far removed from any residential community,” perhaps the “V-Plan” is a code name for Victorville, where an airport could be built that fits that criteria!
Michael Tierney
Lake Forest
In the attempt to force an unwanted and unneeded El Toro airport on South Orange County, we have seen the hijacking of the “local” redevelopment agency, a draft EIR full of mis-statements, “lost” and distorted test results and year-long delays in negotiations with the Navy. And recently we saw the upshot of the controversial county-union labor deal: Assemblyman Lou Correa, D-Anaheim, agreed to support legislation that would have restricted the right of county voters to use the ballot box to stop an out-of-control county planning process.
Waiting in the wings is legislation to keep Irvine from using existing LAFCO rules to annex El Toro.
Michael Smith
Mission Viejo
While desperately advocating against more noise, pollution and traffic in their own back yard, Newport Beach’s aviation policy hypocritically advocates a commercial airport at El Toro.
Measure F seeks to protect all county residents from new airport construction. A Newport Beach City Council resolution seeks to protect only those who live near John Wayne.
Use common sense to unite North and South County: No airport at El Toro in conjunction with extending the caps at John Wayne.
Jody Clark
Laguna Niguel
I find it astounding that the city of Newport Beach can, with a straight face, begin a battle to extend flight restrictions at John Wayne Airport and at the same time champion the effort to build a massive airport at the former El Toro MCAS only seven miles away! From now on we’ll be able to identify members of the Newport Beach City Council by the bulge in one cheek where their tongues certainly must reside.
James McCarthy
