REBUTTAL

I am writing concerning columnist Steve Smith’s front-page opinion piece

in the Saturday, Aug. 14 edition of the Daily Pilot, “Coincidence or plan

-- what’s up with West Side?”

In the column, Mr. Smith links unrelated Costa Mesa West Side news events

and concludes that they are being manipulated by Taylor Woodrow Homes as

part of our planning for Newport Banning Ranch. Mr. Smith admits his

theory is farfetched, and we wholeheartedly agree. His story is false,

misleading and completely in error. Here are the facts about Taylor

Woodrow’s involvement in the matters discussed in his column:

* “The homeless rousting in Talbert Park” -- rather than being a recent

“discovery,” as Mr. Smith alleges, it has been widely known for years

that people have been living in Talbert Park. In an effort to permanently

resolve the issues regarding residents, a number of government agencies

have recently begun to work together. This interagency group has asked us

to repair the security fence between the two properties. Taylor Woodrow

has not been involved in any other way.

* West Side business owners not invited to Aug. 3 planning meeting -- We

are appalled to be linked to any mailing errors concerning the city of

Costa Mesa’s West Side planning process. We salute the efforts of our

Costa Mesa neighbors and city staff for their comprehensive look at the

West Side, but we have had no involvement with their planning process.

* “Taylor Woodrow Homes should throw some more money in the pot to get it

(ie: West Side revitalization) rolling”-- As noted above, Taylor Woodrow

has not meddled with the West Side planning process. If you define “the

pot” as the west sides of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, our new community

is expected to contribute millions of dollars into the pot for public

improvements that will benefit both cities’ revitalization efforts.

* The 19th Street bridge -- We remain adamantly neutral about the

proposed bridge connecting 19th Street to [Banning Avenue] over the Santa

Ana River. We believe that our new community does not require

construction of a bridge because we have reduced the density of the

proposed new community by almost 900 homes and eliminated all road

connections to 19th Street. If the multiagency Santa Ana River Crossing

planning group decides to build a 19th Street bridge, we will not oppose

their decision. We remain opposed to any extension of 17th Street across

the river, however, because it would significantly impact our proposed

120-acre wetlands restoration plan.

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Mr. Smith’s article and set

the record straight about the Newport Banning Ranch community. We are

dedicated to working closely with the many government agencies that

regulate the Banning Ranch property and welcome the continued feedback

from our neighbors in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa.

MICHAEL J. SCHLESINGER

Director of Community Development

Taylor Woodrow Homes