Supervisor Tom Wilson served up a heaping helping of good news at the
Laguna Canyon Conservancy Dinner on Monday.
They were even friendlier after Tom assured them that Main Beach and
the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park will never have commercial flights over
them from El Toro.
"The V Plan, concocted by the New Millennium Group, has caught some
attention," Tom said. "They have contacted the Board of Supervisors to
put on the ballot an initiative called the 'The Reasonable Airport and
Park Nature Preserve.'
"I'm not concerned about it. They are trying to get signatures, but if
they had the signatures, they wouldn't be asking the supervisors to put
it on the ballot."
Tom would like to see the U.S. Marines come back to El Toro, and two
600-acre sites will be whiteholed to see if the federal government will
pony up the money to move the Marine Depot to either site from San Diego
County.
The cleanup of the base is about 80% completed, Tom said, but some of
it never will be.
Tom also told conservancy members that the long-promised widening and
realigning of Laguna Canyon Road should begin this year and be completed
by the winter of 2003-04. The project includes restoration of wetlands,
but will generate no increase in downstream runoff.
The canyon views will be better in some areas than others unless Tom
can find funding to underground all of the utility poles and lines. Right
now, he has a lock on about $3 million. He needs another $3 million to
underground the whole road.
Still on his plate: a new South County Court House in Laguna Niguel,
the Dana Point Harbor revitalization project, the Orange County
Transportation Agency Centerline rail project, high-speed rail and the
Rancho Mission Viejo development.
Sometimes local folks forget that Tom is supervisor of the "Fabulous
Fifth District" of Orange County, not just Laguna Beach.
Not such good news was Tom's opinion there is no permanent fix for low
flights over Laguna from John Wayne Airport.
The only answer is to keep after the airport and the FAA. Call the FAA
Noise Hotline, (310) 725-3638 and the John Wayne noise abatement number,
252-5185.
Nancy Wilson attended the dinner meeting with Tom.
Gene Fielder serves as master of ceremonies at the conservancy
dinners, held the first Monday of the month, September through May at
Tivoli Terrace. Everyone is welcome. No meetings are held during festival
season.
The election of the conservancy board of directors is held at the May
