Fourcher: David vs. Goliath at John Wayne – Good Government Prevails in Battle Over Jet Noise
Fred Fourcher
Voice of OC
September 3, 2020
“When the General Aviation Improvement Plan (GAIP) started at John Wayne Airport, the Airport’s “Proposed Plan” intended to kick more than 250 small airplanes off the airport making room for more large jets. SoCal Pilots joined with the Airport Working Group (“AWG”) and Still Protecting Our Newport (“SPON”) to form a community coalition with the common goal of limiting local jet noise by preserving the current balance of small propeller driven airplanes and jets…
“…As part of this effort, last June, hundreds of residents from across the county packed into the Board of Supervisors meeting and made their voices heard. The Board of Supervisors heard the community’s call for limiting jet noise and dedicated the “Green Area” of the airport to small General Aviation…
“…What followed was a unanimous vote by the County Airport Commission, affirming the coalition’s plan and the selection of ACI Jet and Clay Lacy Aviation as full-service FBO leaseholders.
“…The final step in this process was a vote of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, whether to affirm the community coalition and airport commission’s consensus or to ignore both.
“This process played host to many different community groups, policy arguments, as well as business and political interests – all vying for influence and their preferred outcomes.
“In making their decision, Supervisor Steel led the board in considering who would best serve the residents of Orange County for years to come and Steel did what she was elected to do: listen to and stand up for her constituents.
“This is a perfect example of Orange County leadership and affected community groups working to find a solution. It was not size, not connections, not power, but a sincere willingness to work together toward the best plan for the next 35 years.
“We applaud Supervisors Michelle Steel, Andrew Do and Lisa Bartlett for siding with Orange County residents and for ignoring powerful lobbyists and political special interests hell-bent on preserving the status quo…”
Read the rest here.
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