Group Opposed to El Toro Reuse as an Airport Closes Shop

LAKE FOREST, Calif. -- They can finally say, "Hallelujah."

The El Toro Reuse Planning Authority on Monday met for the final time to cease operations after battling the proposed international airport at the former El Toro Marine base for more than a decade.

"Hallelujah, we did it," said Chairman Allan Songstad.

The agency comprised Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita, as well as Orange County.

In its final order of business, the board unanimously passed a resolution for ETRPA to cease operations on March 31.

The organization allotted each city and the county a portion of a $140,000 balance in authority funds, based on assessments paid.

Finally, ETRPA records will be sent to county archives.

The joint powers authority was formed in 1993 to find new uses for the site. Its members spearheaded a movement to find another use for the base besides the airport.

The board encountered numerous challenges, from legal action to lobbying trips, to earn support from the board of supervisors, the state and federal government to avoid turning the base into an airport.

In 2002 voters passed an anti-airport initiative to rezone the base for open space, housing, technology and parks.

Lennar Corp. bought the 3,718-acre parcel in 2005 and plans for the Great Park are under way to create open space, housing and commercial development.

"This would have been a very different history had there been an airport," said board member Peter Herzog, a Lake Forest councilman. "The communities asked what kind of quality of life are we going to have in Orange County. The quality of life did not include planes flying over your head every two minutes for 24 hours."

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