E Chuck Mcburney

Supervisor Don R. Roth has asked for and received the resignation of Orange County Planning Commissioner C. Douglas Leavenworth, who was investigated by state and local authorities last fall for taking gifts from the Mission Viejo Co. while voting on its projects.

Supervisor Don R. Roth has asked for and received the resignation of Orange County Planning Commissioner C. Douglas Leavenworth, who was investigated by state and local authorities last fall for taking gifts from the Mission Viejo Co. while voting on its projects.

Overriding the objections of the military and its own staff, a divided County Planning Commission on Tuesday approved a preschool facility at a church that is under a Marine Corps flight path. While the move is certain to be appealed by the Marine Corps, the Planning Commission's 3-2 vote clears the way for the Lake Hills Community Church in Laguna Hills to open a 180-student preschool, perhaps by September. The debate was civil and often friendly at Tuesday's commission meeting.

In the most critical vote so far on the future of El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, the Orange County Planning Commission endorsed an environmental impact report that portrays a major international airport as the best use for the base.

In the most critical vote so far on the future of El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, the Orange County Planning Commission on Thursday endorsed an environmental impact report that portrays a major international airport as the best use for the base.

They give the go-ahead for a homeless shelter in Midway City, they have the power to approve a developer agreement for the 3,300-home Bolsa Chica project, and a 100-acre campus doesn't get built in Aliso Viejo without their say-so. Such wide-ranging authority makes the Orange County Planning Commission one of the most important government bodies in the county--but it also has the distinction of being one of the most obscure.