Hall Wanted to Leave Segerstroms ‘Some Dignity’

Costa Mesa Councilman Donn Hall left the crowded council chambers stunned Monday night when he proposed that the Segerstrom family withdraw its plans for a major development that included a 32-story skyscraper. Hall had been the project’s most avid supporter.

But Hall said Tuesday that he interrupted the five hours of emotional testimony, most of it against the project, as a favor to the Segerstroms.

“I still think it’s a great project, just gorgeous,” Hall said. “But when I saw I didn’t have the votes, I made my motion so the Segerstroms could leave with some dignity.”

The council approved Hall’s motion unanimously. C. J. Segerstrom & Sons was asked to return with something more acceptable to the public.

It was the Segerstroms’ first major defeat before the council. Costa Mesa in the past 10 years has approved half a dozen major Segerstrom projects, such as South Coast Plaza and Town Centers I and II.

More than 300 people packed the 176-seat council chambers, almost all of them upset about the proposed development. The company wanted to build a 32-story high-rise, five other office buildings, a hotel and a restaurant on nearly 100 acres next to the San Diego Freeway, on the north side, and just east of Harbor Boulevard. The hearing had gone on for five hours, and the council was facing at least an additional four hours of testimony when Hall brought everything to a halt.

“Things were getting pretty heated,” Hall said. “I thought, why keep the Segerstroms and everyone else there until 4 in the morning when the outcome was inevitable.”

Two council members, Mary Hornbuckle and David Wheeler, opposed the plan. Mayor Norma Hertzog had been leaning toward the Segerstroms, and Councilwoman Arlene Schafer was undecided.

“I’ve worked with those two gals for 10 years, and I can read them pretty well,” Hall said. “I could see early in the evening they weren’t with me.”

Malcolm Ross, the Segerstrom representative on the development, said Tuesday that he has no idea yet how he can revamp the plan to satisfy the council, or how soon.

“Any project that is visionary has a hard time getting sold,” Ross said. “That’s what it was, a visionary project.”

Hertzog praised the Segerstrom company for continuously bringing “quality” projects before the council. “Without the Segerstroms, this city would be Blahville,” she said.

But Monday’s meeting, she said, was “a wonderful exercise of the democratic process.”

Hertzog said she became increasingly skeptical of the Segerstrom project after hearing from some of the opponents, and she liked Hall’s suggestion that the Segerstroms return with something more palatable to the public. “It was an option everyone could feel a little better about,” she said.

Hertzog said the council had not voted against Segerstrom projects before because “by the time it reaches the council level, all the kinks have already been worked out. Perhaps there was a misreading of public sentiment.”

Hall said he is disturbed about what happened. Projects that come before the council, he said, should be judged on their merits, not on “public rhetoric.”

Hertzog said she plans to propose something like a town hall meeting so residents can talk with council members about the city’s future.

“There is obviously enough concern within the community, and there are a lot of articulate and intelligent people who would like to discuss the issues,” she said.

Times staff writer Carla Lazzareschi contributed to this story.