Tustin Base Fight Solvable Locally

After six years of wrangling over how best to convert the former Tustin Marine base to civilian use and fairly apportion some of its acreage to two Santa Ana school districts, city and school officials still haven’t reached a compromise. In fact, negotiations are more strained than ever.

That’s disappointing. Schoolchildren in Santa Ana, Tustin residents and those needing facilities called for in the reuse plan--including low-income housing and facilities for the homeless and abused children--deserve a more timely resolution. But all the public has seen in recent months is the saber-rattling.

Earlier this month, Navy officials approved Tustin’s development plan for reuse of the closed 1,700-acre air base. That plan doesn’t include acreage for the neighboring and severely overcrowded Santa Ana Unified School District and Rancho Santiago Community College District. They want 100 acres to build the state’s first joint campus to enroll students from kindergarten through community college.

Tustin has set aside one-third of the acreage for public use such as parkland, schools and a transitional living center in addition to low-income housing. The city contends that giving away more land would affect the economic balance drastically, compromise federal requirements and jeopardize the entire development plan.

The school officials, whose districts have high Latino enrollments, have accused Tustin of discrimination in refusing its request and have threatened litigation. Tustin, incensed at the charge, says it will discontinue negotiations if a discrimination suit is filed. In Sacramento, Assemblyman Lou Correa (D-Anaheim) introduced legislation that would force Tustin to turn over the 100 acres to the Santa Ana school districts.

It’s a complicated issue with valid points on both sides.

It’s true that the Santa Ana schools will not receive more students because of the new housing proposed at the former base. But there will be an indirect impact on the schools from new residents who might move into Santa Ana after taking jobs in the old base’s commercial and industrial developments.

Recognizing that, Tustin made a new offer to give a 20-acre site and $20 million to Santa Ana Unified and 10 more acres to the Rancho Santiago district.

The offer hasn’t been accepted. But it’s a positive gesture that invites continued negotiations and should serve as a good starting point for a compromise. After years of delay while attitudes hardened, the issue should be decided by city and school officials, not in Sacramento, Washington or the courts.