Developing a debate about 1901 Newport

I just finished reading the letters to the editor section Saturday on

the condo project planned for the end of the Costa Mesa Freeway. Once

I got past the adjectives of the opponents, I sat and felt I had to

respond.

People keep coming to our area. People need to have homes. Homes

are in short supply since we under-build our need because of

low-density zoning. How do we provide the homes? Do we simply make

the need go away because we wish it to go away? Not everyone can move

to some other area as yet unspecified.

Everyone wants things to stay just the way they are once they get

our slice of the pie. I live in a wonderful, high-density condo

project on the “Westside.” I am grateful that it is dense and allows

more land around it to be saved and savored by the neighborhood. The

park at the end of my block is wonderfully used every weekend by

families. The park below me on the river allows all to enjoy the open

space. The only way to do this is with high density here for no

density there. You cannot build the whole world with grand front

lawns and grand back yards without any shadow ever falling on your

petunias.

I choose to live in a real world. If you don’t want any

development, then tell the people who need the homes to go away; just

remember, the people you tell this to are the people who buy at your

business or employer’s business and contribute to your charities.

One more thing, next time you call a developer evil, check your

property history. It was probably a developer who built the home

where your beautiful child sleeps every night. It didn’t grow up out

of the ground.

GARY MAXWELL

Westside

The city of Costa Mesa has the responsibility to all its citizens

when making long-lasting decisions within the city. The decision to

grant an amendment to the general plan for the IKEA development has

become a nightmare due to traffic and congestion, and this is before

the homes have been completed. Many in the city viewed this

development as only affecting the community on that side of town, yet

anyone having business in Costa Mesa feels some effect of the

congestion of the freeway construction and the development. The

corners of Sunflower and Harbor and South Coast and Harbor between

the hours of 3 and 6:30 p.m. are horrendous due to traffic congestion

and limited alternative routes around the gridlock.

Now again, the city of Costa Mesa is entertaining the idea of

placing another overly large development at one of the most congested

intersections in the city -- 19th Street and Newport Boulevard. The

shopping center across the street is at capacity when you factor in

all the car trips dealing with the health club alone. When Triangle

Square again regains higher occupancy, the car trips will increase

dramatically. The city must change their myopic view and look at a

longer view in developing revenues, such as more redevelopment money

for all the businesses on 19th Street. Placing overhead electrical

lines and new street lamp standards is not enough. This proposed

development will leave lasting effects on the main thoroughfare to

the beach and our main area of revenue, outside of South Coast Plaza,

17th Street. Please refrain from deciding this issue July 7 and

gather more alternatives for revenue for the good of all citizens in

Costa Mesa.

JACK GOMEZ

Costa Mesa

I’d like to fill in the whole picture regarding Mr. J.B. Litvak’s

letter justifying high-density housing (“A bigger picture needed for

condo project,” June 19). As an environmentalist and a community

activist, I also believe in the holistic approach. What is done in

one place has repercussions elsewhere.

Higher density projects in urban centers can benefit if they

preserve open space elsewhere, are engineered properly to minimize

traffic (and if people can and will walk to work, shopping and

entertainment) and may provide affordable housing.

However, no project should be a burden to the existing community.

It must be well integrated into the available infrastructure, and the

local quality of life must be preserved.

Let’s examine the 1901 Newport condo project.

This developer, Rutter Development, plans to build in Trabuco

Canyon, destroying 56 acres of pristine oak woodland, jeopardizing 75

acres of coastal sage scrub habitat as well. Five hundred native

trees will be destroyed. I haven’t heard him offer to spare more

mature oak trees or open space if we support a mega-project in Costa

Mesa. We sure aren’t going to halt any urban sprawl by letting him

build high density in our city.

Traffic analysis predicts 6.8 trips per day per unit. That adds

1,095 trips a day, or 398,580 a year, near one of the most congested

intersections in the County. Cars idling in gridlock produce high

levels of vehicle pollutants. Does it make sense to say that in order

to save traffic we first have to increase traffic?

There are few jobs in the vicinity that provide sufficient income

necessary to purchase one of these “upscale” condos. There is no

grocery store nearby. Entertainment we’ve got, but the area is not

designed well for pedestrian traffic, and there are very busy streets

to cross in all directions.

The condos may be priced at entry level for Costa Mesa, but a

smaller project would provide the same thing without such severe

traffic impacts. Housing can be provided at other sites and

accomplish the same goal, without concentrating the negative impacts.

The residential neighborhood to the north will be especially hard

hit with overflow parking and increased traffic. The way their front

yards would be shaded by this project is completely unfair. Those are

already affordable homes. One family saved for 12 years to buy in

Costa Mesa and finally found their entry-level home. Their quality of

life is about to take a big hit.

As Litvak said, we all can think of reasons why this project

should not be built. It’s called quality of life! 1901 is a nice

project -- for Los Angeles. A smaller project would be more

appropriate for Costa Mesa. I strongly believe protecting the still

somewhat suburban, low-rise, low-density character of Costa Mesa is

important, too!

ROBIN LEFFLER

Costa Mesa