STREET TALK

We asked residents at Smart & Final on West 19th Street:

How should the city improve the West Side?

(1) “The first thing they should do is fix the potholes and maintain

the streets. They should also place bilingual signs prohibiting

jaywalking along the roads. It is very dangerous.”

ALLAN SMITH

Newport Beach

(2) “If it were up to me I would level it all and start over with

single-family housing. It needs to move from an industrial area to one

that is more commercial and residential.” PHILIP ROSENBLATH

Newport Beach

(3) “I own an industrial company here in Costa Mesa. What frightens me

is that they are talking about tearing down my building to build

residential housing. I have worked 14 years to buy a building in Costa

Mesa on the West Side. The West Side is the heart of Costa Mesa’s

industrial area. They should leave it alone.”

GARY SMITH

Costa Mesa

(4) “One thing I see is excess speed around here. And landscaping is

always a good thing. Let’s outlaw drabness. The businesses around here

need to upgrade their buildings. If they are getting drab, somebody needs

to tap them on the shoulder. Give them five minutes to pull out their

paint brush.”

BILL MERRILL

Costa Mesa

(5) “They should scrape up all of the gum off of the sidewalk and fill

in the cracks with some kind of white rubber. It distracts me when I am

walking.”

JOHN SIMONS

Costa Mesa