Here are a few items the council...

Here are a few items the council considered Tuesday.

RECREATION BUDGET REDUCTION

The parks and recreation department will cut $100,000 from its budget for the 2004-05 fiscal year, mainly by reducing part-time

staff hours. The council in 2004 asked for the budget trim to combat

the city’s practice of spending more than it takes in.

Councilman Eric Bever agreed with the budget reduction but voted

against the measure because he thought up to $250,000 more could be

trimmed from the recreation budget.

WHAT IT MEANS

The parks budget will be reduced, but it’s not likely to be

noticeable since some of the staff reductions were made due to later

school dismissals, and where youth sports staff cuts were made,

school playground staff have taken on some coaching duties.

WHAT THEY SAID

“It appears that we do have room for a little bit more budget

cutting,” Councilman Eric Bever said.

RESIDENTIAL DESIGN GUDELINES

The Planning Commission recommended a few changes to clean up the

guidelines for residential design. Homes that meet the guidelines can

be built without specific planning commission approval.

One change was proposed on the spot Tuesday by Councilman Gary

Monahan: Waive an average 10-foot side-yard setback for second-story

additions. The council adopted the setback as a way to prevent

buildings from appearing too massive, but the unintended consequence

was that second stories couldn’t rely on the lower floors’ foundation

walls because they had to be set back farther. Builders complained

that it was difficult to engineer such a building properly and it

cost more to build.

Councilwomen Linda Dixon and Katrina Foley opposed the measure

because they wanted more time to study the setback change.

WHAT IT MEANS

Residents can now add second stories to their homes that line up

with the first floor on the sides instead of having to meet a greater

side-yard setback requirement.

WHAT THEY SAID

“We’ve created a little monster here that can be implemented in

new construction, but on existing homes it’s impossible,” building

contractor Doyle Forth said of the average 10-foot side-yard setback.

POLICE BASEMENT RENOVATION

The city will spend $445,650 to add a women’s locker room and

temporary evidence storage at the Costa Mesa Police Department. The

facility was built in the late 1960s and has been slated for a major

overhaul for seven years, but the project has been delayed because of

tight budgets.

Although the city is likely to include the full remodeling in the

2005-06 budget, the women’s locker room and showers and more space to

store evidence are the most pressing needs for police right now.

WHAT IT MEANS

Construction of the locker room and temporary evidence storage

will begin soon, and the women’s locker room will tie on with a large

expansion project that could begin later this year.