COSTA MESA CITY COUNCIL WRAP-UP

Compiled by Lolita Harper

Here are some of the decisions made at Monday’s Costa Mesa City

Council meeting.

EDISON LAND

WHAT HAPPENED:

A small corner plot of city land will house new homes instead of a

miniature park after City Council members declined to purchase the

property.

At less than half an acre, council members said the vacant lot at

Monte Vista Avenue and Monaco Terrace was too small to justify paying

$545,000. City officials said they could not negotiate a lower price.

In addition to the purchase price, the city would need to invest

another $17,841 in improvements, as well as pay annual maintenance costs.

The land was originally owned by Southern California Edison, which

began negotiating with a developer about selling its excess property.

During that time, the city expressed interest in the property. Edison and

the developer offered to sell the property to the city at fair market

value.

WHAT IT MEANS:

Mavericks Development & Holdings LLC will buy the land from Southern

California Edison and build houses on the 15,159-square-foot plot.

WHAT THEY SAID:

Mayor Linda Dixon said she wanted more parkland but not at that price.

“As much as I want to see us reserve this open space, I think this

price is outlandish,” she said.

Vote: 4-0 to decline purchase of the property.

NEWPORT BOULEVARD MONEY

WHAT HAPPENED:

City Council members postponed a decision that could forfeit $700,000

in transportation funding because Councilman Gary Monahan was not present

to discuss it.

The council was to consider scrapping a plan to widen Newport

Boulevard and return the design funding to the Orange County Department

of Transportation. Monahan said last week he was opposed to the idea.

Costa Mesa officials have sought solutions to the worsening downtown

traffic problems for more than 17 years.

City traffic engineers worked with transportation authorities and

agreed on a plan for an additional lane for sections of Newport Boulevard

traveling northbound from 17th Street to 19th Street and a southbound

portion from Broadway to 17th.

The council created a committee to study the effects of the proposed

widening. The committee -- mostly made up of Eastside residents and

downtown business owners -- reviewed data for the past six months and

recommended postponing the proposed project.

WHAT IT MEANS:

Council members will discuss the issue at the April 1 meeting.

Vote: 4-0 to postpone the decision.

CRIMINAL-EVICTION LAW

WHAT HAPPENED:

A law that would require landlords to evict any tenant convicted of a

drug or gang offense gained final approval from the City Council on

Monday and will take effect in 30 days.

Council members unanimously endorsed a law designed to rid the city of

renters who participate in drug- or gang-related crimes. The “gang

ordinance,” as it is called, was a long-term project of Councilman Chris

Steel and one of his supporters, John Feeney.

Steel promoted a similar law in May but failed to gain majority

approval because it required eviction for arrests, but not necessarily

convictions. The earlier proposal -- modeled after an ordinance in Buena

Park -- also included gang-related crimes, which sparked concern among

some council members.

Councilwoman Libby Cowan, who opposed the ordinance in the preliminary

approval, changed her vote Monday, saying the new law sent a good message

to residents. It told residents the city would not tolerate drug and gang

crimes.

Although she supported the law, she said she did not believe it would

be the great crime solution some have touted.

WHAT IT MEANS:

Costa Mesa landlords will be required to evict tenants who are

convicted of gang- or drug-related crimes.

WHAT THEY SAID:

“Let me make it very clear that I don’t think this is the answer that

people think it will be. But it will give the police a tool. Make no

mistake that I support our police,” Cowan said.

Vote: 4-0 in favor of final approval of the ordinance.

NEXT MEETING

WHAT: Costa Mesa City Council regular meeting

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. April 1

WHERE: Costa Mesa City Hall, 77 Fair Drive