Editorial

Costa Mesa’s West Side has long been a thorn in the side of city

fathers.

As other areas of town have blossomed and prospered, the West Side

remained shackled to the very symbols of urban blight:

* A spotty collection of merchants and businesses;

* The homeless and homeless shelters;

* Gang-infested neighborhoods;

* Old, decaying shopping centers;

* Traffic and worn-down streets;

* Drug peddling and abuse;

* Assorted criminal activity, including prostitution.

These are heady problems for any mere mortal to fix. That’s no excuse

for letting the area stagnate for years.

But now, city officials, armed with a report on the problems

associated with the West Side, must decide whether they are prepared to

pump money and resources into the area and give it a rebirth worthy of

the rest of town, as well as those on the West Side who have lived with

the problems.

The report, done by a Los Angeles-based consultant, identified some of

the key problems the West Side faces and offered some solutions that

would call for radical changes to the look and feel of the West Side.

Those solutions include a pedestrian-friendly, Main Street-style

neighborhood; a central plaza; news and flower stands; more trees; and

repairs to streets and sidewalks.

West Siders need only glance north along Harbor Boulevard to see that

major change is possible in Costa Mesa. The Harbor Center, once a decayed

and blighted strip mall in its own right, has been given new life through

the cooperation of city and business leaders.

For now, city officials vow to collect input from West Side residents

and merchants.

And we’ll be eager to hear what they have to say.

But in the meantime, we ask that everyone -- city officials and West

Siders alike -- keep an open mind on the changes that are being talked

about for the neighborhood.

It’s a good start toward a worthy goal.