No Airport at MCAS El Toro!

By Debra H. Lewis

I oppose any size commercial airport at El Toro. An airport will degrade our superior quality of life, pollute our environment and constitute a safety hazard. A flawed planning process has needlessly divided this County.

1. First and foremost, aviation use at El Toro will significantly, irreversibly and unacceptably degrade the current superior quality of life in Rancho Santa Margarita and the Plano Trabuco communities;

2. Incessant, round the clock, intolerable noise levels will destroy the peace and tranquility which drew residents to the pastoral canyon setting. Recent tests conducted by the County forced one Supervisor to publicly admit the problem and propose the earmarking of public funds to soundproof homes as a possible "solution";

3. Safety concerns attendant to the County's proposal to direct 70% of the take-offs east off runway 7, a flight path which has engendered significant controversy and opposition from experts in aviation, including the Airline Pilots' Association and most recently, a noted spokesperson from American Airlines;

4. Pollution levels representing significant health threats, particularly to the elderly, young children and those with sensitivities such as asthma or emphysema;

5. Traffic congestion including a significant increase in the number of buses, shuttles and other noisy, polluting vehicles on the streets, 24 hours a day. The inevitable negative impact to on and off ramps to the Tollway which already meet or exceed capacity at peak hours. This congestion will severely impact business, and residents will experience significant increases in their commute times;

6. Negative impact to the housing market and real estate prices in Rancho Santa Margarita and the Plano Trabuco communities;

7. County planners' failure to build a consensus or to directly quantify John Wayne's supposed inadequacy to serve the County's needs for the foreseeable future;

8. County planners' failure to properly account for the impact of planned or proposed expansions to Los Angeles International Airport and Ontario International Airport along with the increased marketing of Long Beach Airport; and

9. Poor planning and apparent surreptitious nature of the entire planning process which has undermined the credibility and viability of the entire aviation use project, divided the county and ignored the legitimate concerns of those most significantly impacted by aviation use at El Toro.

I am offended by the refusal to open the planning process to the light of day, instead forcing all but the tightest inner circle to blindly navigate an elaborate labyrinth of misinformation, non-information and disinformation. This is no way to run a government and certainly no way to decide the County's largest and most significant planning issue which will effect this County for generations to come!