Businesses unhappy with proposed route

Deirdre Newman

Avo Kilicarslan invested his lifetime savings in his restaurant,

Avo’s Bistro.

Like a classic Mediterranean restaurant, the bistro’s ambience is

enhanced by the soft gurgling of water nearby -- in this case, a lake

with a fountain in the back of the center at 580 Anton Blvd.

So Kilicarslan said he was shocked to find out that his idyllic

environment could disappear if the county chooses Costa Mesa’s

preferred route for the CenterLine light rail system.

It would be in the way.

The county is considering four different routes for the light rail

to get from the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center to John

Wayne Airport. It will decide on one in early December.

The city prefers a route with a small underground portion, running

along Avenue of the Arts. If this route is approved, the only

property in the right-of-way is the Lakes Pavilion, where Avo’s

Bistro sits. Three other businesses would also be affected.

Kilicarslan’s shock soon turned to skepticism as he contemplated

his life’s work being forced out.

“I don’t believe it will happen,” Kilicarslan said, motioning

toward the lake and the palm trees surrounding it. “I don’t

understand what they’re doing. I don’t think they would destroy this

beauty.”

The owner of the property could not be reached for comment.

In July, the county approved a shortened CenterLine project at a

cost of less than $1 billion. In early October, city officials

finally persuaded the county to consider putting a portion of the

light-rail system underground where it runs near South Coast Plaza.

The major Costa Mesa players in the project -- C.J. Segerstrom &

Sons, the Orange County Performing Arts Center and the major

landowners in the north Costa Mesa area -- pressed for an underground

route so the light-rail system won’t interfere with existing

developments.

The compromise worked out among the business owners, city leaders

and the county involves about 1,100 feet of the line to go under

Avenue of the Arts at a cost of about $50 million with no underground

stations.

The property at 580 Anton is in the only one in the right-of-way

in Costa Mesa because the county chose the option that had the least

effect on private property, said Orange County Transportation

Authority spokesman Michael Litschi.

In addition to Avo’s Bistro, the L-shaped center houses Ocean Park

Cleaners, Digital Hearing Technology, the Corner Office and two

vacant storefronts.

On Oct. 14, the authority started the process of hiring a

right-of-way consulting firm that would eventually acquire property

once the final route has been chosen. The authority chose to act at

that time because it wanted to keep the entire project on schedule,

Litschi said.

The authority’s board of directors can’t vote on the final route

until December because the environmental report is still going

through a public comment period. There will be a public hearing on

Nov. 24 for property owners, business owners and others to comment on

the project.

After the board chooses a preferred route in December, the

environmental report will be studied again, with public comment, and

has to be approved by the federal government.

Acquiring property couldn’t start until the federal government

signs off on the project and the earliest acquisition would begin is

August, 2004, Litschi said. It will be decided down the line whether

the county or individual cities will be responsible for acquiring

right-of-way property. If property owners don’t voluntarily sell

their property, the county could take the land at a price it deems

worthy through eminent domain.

Owners and regulars of the Corner Office -- a sports bar

especially popular with the NFL crowd -- also expressed shock at the

prospect of being sacrificed for CenterLine.

Scott Hodge, one of three owners of the bar, said he first was

excited when he heard the light rail would come down Anton Boulevard

because it would have been great exposure for the bar.

Upon learning of the new underground route and its repercussions,

Hodge questioned the need for the light-rail system.

“Do we even really need it?” Hodge asked. “Does anyone take the

train? It would be nice if [they did]. It would relieve congestion.

But I don’t see thousands of people getting on the train.”

Patrons of the bar gearing up for Monday Night Football expressed

indignation at the prospect of their favorite watering hole drying

up.

“I think it would be very disappointing,” said Jim Flanagan, a

local business owner who has been meeting friends at the bar for the

past eight years. “I think these guys provide a great place for

business people like me to meet. It’s very high-class.”

The authority is holding off on conducting a major outreach

campaign with potentially affected property owners until the final

route is chosen, Litschi said.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at [email protected].