El Toro Marine Corps Air Station

An AP wire service story 8/9/96 titled "Study Recommends Airport; Neighbors Fume", shows residents near El Toro Marine Corps Air Station are in a situation similar to ours. The county released the second of two environmental impact drafts recommending conversion of the station to an international airport when the Marines leave in 1999. The co-director of the study was the director of nearby John Wayne airport. Our counterpart, Bill Kogerman of Taxpayers for Responsible Planning, said "It's a totally biased report, focused on one solution: an international airport." Now there's a 45 day public comment period, and then county supervisors will tell the Pentagon their preference by December 15.

Three options were considered in the draft EA: an international airport for 38 million passengers a year, a cargo and GA airport, and redevelopment into a college campus and/or a theme park. All options would pay for themselves. The passenger airport cost 5X more than any other option, but would generate 2X more revenue and 2X more jobs.

The draft EA concluded that environmental impacts from the international airport would be less than for the other options. Noise wouldn't be a problem compared with current military flights except for part of one retirement community. The AP said that "Regional planners and a national pilots' association have said wind and nearby mountains make El Toro unsuited for passenger liners."

People voted for the airport twice, but the AP report didn't say where the votes were held. Mayors of neighboring cities are threatening lawsuits.

Some things occur to me from this:

It's not uncommon to "fudge" an Environmental Assessment to get the answer that was decided upon before the study was commissioned.
The redevelopment option paid for itself.
A cargo and GA airport apparently brings more noise and polution and fewer dollars than a passenger airport. I'm reminded of Sunnyvale Councilman Stan Kawczynski's comment about San Jose Airport wanting to shift air cargo to Moffett through the NASA CRAF proposal. He said he would tell them (paraphrased): "Keep your air cargo. I'd rather have your American and United than air cargo." It's not that he wants passenger flights, just that he considers them preferable to air cargo.
El Toro neighbors were allowed to vote on the base conversion.