No appeal seen for wall today

Greg Risling

COSTA MESA -- It appears that neighbors who voiced concerns about a

wall built at a day-care center where two children were killed in May

won’t file an appeal with the city today.

Residents who complained that the wall blocked their view as they

approached Santa Ana Avenue through an alley have until 5 p.m. to appeal

a decision by City Manager Allan Roeder to keep the wall.

While Roeder admitted the wall shouldn’t have been built in the same

location where a chain-link fence stood, most neighbors are satisfied

with modifications outlined in the encroachment permit granted to the

Southcoast Early Childhood Learning Center.

“I think everyone feels that Mr. Roeder did an outstanding job

addressing our concerns,” said Paul Wilbur, who lives near the day-care

center. “The conditions added to the permit were very favorable to us. I

don’t see what can be gained from filing an appeal.”

In Roeder’s eight-page decision, he added parking restrictions on

curbs near the alley so vehicles wouldn’t block the view of motorists.

Roeder also requested better lighting and added landscaping at the

day-care center. He suggested the Lighthouse Coastal Community Church,

which owns the center, should schedule meetings with neighbors,

especially after a long-standing adversarial relationship between them.

Roeder also said he would like to see a report presented to the

council at the conclusion of the meetings discussing further concerns.

Not all of the neighbors believe the city will follow through with its

plans, however. Bob Simonson said Roeder’s recommendations don’t provide

neighbors with a specific direction.

“At this point in time, nothing has been done,” he said. “I think an

appeal would be a good move. Unfortunately, I guess when you’ve been

bullied and pushed around long enough like we have by the city, you just

give up.”

Day-care center administrators didn’t expect any opposition when a

decision was made to build the wall earlier this summer. Two children

were killed in May when an car plowed through the fence and ran onto the

playground at the center.

The city decided to fast-track the permit process when the wall was

designed, but neighbors pointed out the wall would infringe on public

property.

Roeder said his decision wasn’t influenced by the possibility that the

$50,000 wall would be torn down after volunteers had donated materials

and hundreds of hours to build the wall.

If an appeal were filed today, the City Council would have to review

the matter and render another decision.