Plan, albeit vague, pleases residents

Andrew Glazer

WEST SIDE -- Merchants and residents said they are pleased with a plan to

revitalize their neighborhood, regardless of its vague, fast-forward

debut Monday evening.

“I’m really excited about it,” said Manfredo Lespier, a member of the

Latino Advisory Committee. “They really took into consideration the

housing issue.”

Lespier was smitten with the plan even though Woody Tescher, director of

urban planning at EIP Associates -- the consultants hired by the city to

draft a plan -- admittedly presented no more than a brief overview.

“I spoke very fast because I had very little time,” said Tescher, who

clocked in just over half an hour. “The City Council and Planning

Commission had other meetings.”

He recommended the city concentrate on developing a shopping village in

the neighborhood, increase its stock of affordable housing and continue

to allow auto repair shops and small businesses to operate there.

The city hired Tescher in the summer of 1998 to develop a strategy to

improve the neighborhood’s longtime traffic problems, decaying housing,

crumbling streets and lack of shopping.

City planners said many of the problems stemmed from the West Side’s

unusual mix of industry, homes and retail businesses. Rumors circulated

around the community that the consultants might suggest the city restrict

new auto body shops and family-run grocery stores.

In August, 1999, a group of the city’s Latino leaders, including Lespier,

told the City Council that the consultants had neglected input from the

neighborhood’s largest ethnic group. Latinos make up almost 50% of the

West Side’s population, according to a recent UC Irvine graduate study.

The city delayed the plan’s due date and formed the Latino Community

Advisors. The advisors met with community members, compiled a report and

passed it on to the consultants.

“It came in late but it looks like they took our suggestions into

consideration,” Lespier said. “We’ll see when it’s in writing, but I’m

very confident.”

Ed Fawcett, president and CEO of the city’s Chamber of Commerce, said the

plan appeared to be fair to the neighborhood’s business community.

“We’re relieved that they’re letting businesses continue operating in the

neighborhood,” he said. “They truly did listen.”

City Councilman Joe Erickson said he agreed with several of the concepts

Tescher presented, but questioned how they would be implemented.

“A lot of these ideas would cost a lot of money,” he said. “But we need

to know a lot more.”

Tescher said he would deliver the full written report to the City Council

on Friday. He said copies will be made available to the public early next

week.

The Planning Commission and City Council will hold several public

meetings on the proposed plan before making a decision.