Airport meeting set for Costa Mesa

Paul Clinton

COSTA MESA -- Orange County airport planners are set to deliver “the

facts” to residents at a meeting tonight.

Supervisor Jim Silva, who represents Newport-Mesa on the county board,

said he would also attend the 6 p.m. event on the proposed El Toro

airport, which will be held at the Costa Mesa Senior Center.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Mayor Libby Cowan said. “Certainly, it’s

an opportunity for our community to hear about the county plan and an

opportunity to ask questions about the county plan.”

The Local Redevelopment Authority, the county agency sponsoring the

meeting, has plans for an airport at the closed Marine base that could

handle up to 28.8 million passengers per year. However, supervisors have

said they would like to build an airport to handle 18.8 million a year.

Airport planners will be on hand to discuss a bevy of issues -- noise,

flight paths, air pollution, increased traffic and the economic benefits

of the airport.

The meeting is the sixth in a series of countywide informational

sessions that are part of the pro-airport “Just the Facts” campaign. The

county launched the campaign earlier this year to rally support for the

airport.

Residents who attend the meeting will have an opportunity to ask

airport planners questions face to face.

“I’ve had a lot of phone calls from the cities of Newport Beach and

Costa Mesa that they want an interaction with the planners,” Silva said.

FYI

The “Just the Facts” meeting will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the

Costa Mesa Senior Center, 609 W. 19th St. Information: (888) 422-6220.