Planned tower drawing glowers

Orange County Fairgrounds and Exposition Center is poised for remodeling over the next several years, but part of the plans include an observation tower that has generated some controversy, officials said.

Further plans include the installation of an air hangar that would celebrate the grounds’ history as a military base, backstage improvements in the Pacific Amphitheater and general infrastructure upgrades outlined in the fairground’s master plan.

Senior Vice President Steve Beazley emphasized these projects are pending individual approval by the fairground’s board of directors, but said he thought many of the changes would be celebrated by attendees.

“We’re presenting a whole menu of projects to the board on [Feb. 28],” he said. “It’s going to be a very good, content-filled meeting…. Nothing has been decided yet.”

Not everyone shares Beazley’s enthusiasm — some neighbors of the park have expressed concern about the construction of the observation tower, which could reach several hundred feet in height and pose an unwanted intrusion to some neighbors.

“One of my concerns is that there is going to be this 300-foot sore thumb sticking up in the air, and the people inside it will be able to look into our windows,” College Park resident Nadine Crawley said. “Why is this tower in our backyard? We’re not Sea World.”

Beazley sought to allay such fears, saying the tower had yet to be designed, and its construction would incorporate input from neighbors and other stakeholders.

“The tower is a new project. We have to take it through a process,” he said. “We’ll be talking to all of our stakeholders through that process.”

He added the tower would be an interesting landmark for the city, providing a beautiful panoramic view of both the fairgrounds and surrounding areas, and the air hangar could serve as a historical museum about the fairground and city.

The next board of directors meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m., Feb. 28 at the Orange County Fairgrounds.

CHRIS CAESAR may be reached at (714) 966-4626 or at [email protected].