READERS RESPOND

* AT ISSUE: Community input on the redevelopment of the West Side in

Costa Mesa.

Just a comment on the West Side of Costa Mesa, which I feel doesn’t

need as much redevelopment as much as possibly redirection (“Stronger

Latino outreach urged,” Sept. 16). Certainly it should not be looking

toward the model of Huntington Beach where they take bulldozers,

earthmovers and change everything. I don’t think you want to change the

character of our city. It makes it such a friendly community. I just

drove down Placentia a couple days ago and there’s all kinds of

interesting businesses that have been there forever and all kinds of

revitalization is taking place. I think it needs to be thought about a

long time before they change things drastically.

SHARON BOUDREAU

Costa Mesa

Your paper and especially your reporter Elise Gee are to be

congratulated on the fair treatment you have given on the subject of

Latino input regarding the West Side development. You could have easily

sensationalized this subject by making it sound like Latino input was

purposely shut out. Instead, you decided to report the facts, that many

things were done to try to get the Latino participation early on. As a

member of the Costa Mesa Human Relations Committee, I can back up those

stats. Our committee helped with the neighborhood dialogue and the

planning sessions workshop. Early on, we contacted Latino leaders for

help with getting Latinos to participate. It was a major disappointment

to us that this did not seem to work. Also, the first workshop was held

at Rea School so people would be familiar with the location. Speaking for

myself, not necessarily the committee, though I am pleased to see the

Latino community has decided to participate, there should be no

insinuation that their participation was purposely bypassed. And it’s too

bad that the process now has to slow down as a result, however, it’s

better late than never. Perhaps an element of trust needs to be stronger

in our town. The Human Relations Committee will continue to do all it can

to achieve that aim. Thanks again for your fair treatment. Gee attended

the workshop, so it was very professional of her to include the true

facts as she observed them.

GAIL PERKINS

Costa Mesa

Regarding the article on the West Side (West Side businesses feel left

out,” Sept. 17). I feel that really this should be a process of fairness

where everyone in the community is heard and their ideas honestly

recognized and incorporated as much as possible into the final result.

This includes not only the West Side businesses, but also a fair and

objective look at extending 19th Street to the beach and what the

opportunities would be for Costa Mesa in that regard. This has been

intentionally left out.

ROBERT GRAHAM

Costa Mesa

Costa Mesa is the shabbiest beach side community in Southern

California. Large residential areas throughout the city are decaying

because of high-density housing and poor zoning control of businesses

that pay poverty level wages that perpetuate overcrowded slum housing.

How many Costa Mesa business owners live in these decaying

neighborhoods? The West Side should be rezoned R1 residential and

businesses moved to commercial zones segregated from residential housing.

DENNIS BARTON

Costa Mesa

BOSTON -- Officials of the Boston Housing Authority want white

residents in housing developments to take shamrocks off their doors and

windows because non-white residents say they are racially offensive and

make them feel “uncomfortable and unwelcome.”

COSTA MESA -- Officials of the city government attend an

invitation-only meeting concerning the revitalization of part of the city

with a group called Latino Advisory Council. City officials of Costa Mesa

apparently don’t think non-Latinos should find this offensive and that

they shouldn’t feel uncomfortable and unwelcome.

Interesting.

H. MILLARD

Costa Mesa