Originally Posted by
70sSanO
I don’t have an exact roadmap, but there was a successful defense of stopping the EL Toro MCAS from turning into a 24 hr international airport.
In a nutshell it was really a county issue. Beyond the environmental impacts, including infrastructure, you need a champion(s) in county government to fight for you. If all of your local representatives are pro-airport, you have a tough battle.
The battle included putting the measure on the ballot multiple times until it was defeated. It was really north county vs. south county. The sidebar to this was a massive influx of new residents into south county that eventually presented an insurmountable force.
Ironically everyone liked having the Marine base close by. It was some reassurance, real or imagined, by having ready air support in the neighborhood.
John
Yeah, I remember when that happened here in Souther California/Orange County Funny thing is that area was open ranch land when the El Toro MCAS was built back in the 'Cold War' era, the land around it got developed into residential suburbs with upper-middle-class. upper class neighborhoods populated by 'business-friendly' conservatives. Then when the Marines left in the mid-1990s as part of the nationwide military re-alignment for the post-cold war era. Once word got out that it would be repurposed as a major 24hr international airport to bolster the economy (and relieve some of the pressure on LAX )the neighbors started screaming. Money and political influence changed its course and its development as open space - parkland/housing was left to the City of Irvine to manage, and its been a cluster-f ever since with lots of political shenanigans going on. . Its slowly developing, but as more of a residential area than a 'Great Park' since the City of Irvine usually give concessions on housing if they'll contribute to the 'Great Park' part of it. So far most of the park has been developed into dedicated 'one-trick-pony' sports field (soccer, baseball/softball, etc) and not much open space. I'm glad I don't live near that area anymore.
FWIW: I worked down there in the 1990s when the El Toro MCAS base was active, and there was an incredible amount of jet fighter traffic going in and out of the base on a daily basis (lot of landing and take-off practice, including carrier deck practice before actually doing carrier operations). I'm surprised there were not more complaints from the surrounding communities at that time.