Thursday, February 21, 2008

CM PRESS # 303


UNDER A STEEL SKY

Joe Bell has a column in the Daily Pilot today about John Wayne Airport. LINK

Unfortunately, Bell gives inadvertent examples of how screwed up the opposition to an ever expanding John Wayne is.

No wonder the folks in South County were able to kill off an airport at El Toro.

CONSIDER:

Bell writes that "Air Fare" is a group working to cap flights. Actually, Joe, it's "AIRFAIR."
LINK

Note 1: Because the DP folks read the CM PRESS in order to stay informed about what's really going on in Costa Mesa, they may correct the DP's Website with the correct name before you read the error.

Note 2: When you go to AIRFAIR's website, notice that there's no mention of the AWG meeting written about by Bell and quoted immediately below. Don't these groups even communicate with each other?

Bell tells readers: "And for starters, don’t forget that AWG meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Balboa Yacht Club, 1801 Bayside Drive, Newport Beach."

Ah, okay, Joe, where are the rest of the details? Is there a charge? Is this a dinner meeting? Is everyone invited? Is there adequate parking? Where is the parking? Are there parking fees? Is there a dress code? How about a contact telephone number? How about a website address?

When the CM PRESS googled AWG (Airport Working Group) to try to find the information Bell forgot to give readers, we came up with an out of date web page and couldn't find any mention of the meeting written about by Bell. LINK

Folks, we've said it before: John Wayne is going to keep expanding unless a realistic alternate airport site is found.

The CM PRESS believes the most viable option is to have the federal government cede a relatively small part of massive Camp Pendleton to a new airport authority that will build a 21st century international airport there.

Unfortunately, the groups trying to do something about John Wayne are mostly just trying to cap the number of flights, or put in train service between John Wayne and an airport in San Bernardino County.

We don't see those as real solutions at all. In fact, we see them as busy work and distractions that will cause people to think something is being done when it isn't.

For more on our suggestions about Camp Pendleton, read THIS
and THIS.

Although Bell and his neighbors in the former Santa Ana Heights and the folks on Costa Mesa's Eastside will be most affected by an ever growing John Wayne, the rest of us in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach will also be affected.

When John Wayne needs more land, it's going to take Costa Mesa land almost over to the 55 Freeway. Look at this MAP for some clues about this. Notice how freeway off ramps could be built leading to an expanded JWA from the 55?

And, when JWA expands and more flights come in, we're all going to live under a steel sky.

If you live on the Westside or in Mesa Verde, you may think that an expansion of JWA won't affect you, but it will.

You do know that incoming flights make their approach from the ocean and follow the Santa Ana River inland before turning to land at JWA, don't you? Do you want more flights up the Santa Ana River--which is within the crash zone of your homes?
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.

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