Costa Mesa nears decision on Huscroft House

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA -- Mark McIlroy came to the meeting undecided.

He left a firm supporter of the city’s plans to restore the

86-year-old Huscroft House.

“I think the city should” restore the house, said McIlroy, who lives

in Costa Mesa, after the meeting. “I like the idea of having a piece of

history for Costa Mesa. I liked the energy I felt in the room and the

excitement. At first, I had not made a decision, but toward the end I

thought it was a great idea. I think it was the commitment that people

were expressing. It made it feel like it was a community.”

The City Council is scheduled to decide Monday whether to restore the

Huscroft House, a white, two-story, Craftsman-style house with a

multi-planed roof line, a gable roof with exposed rafters, wood siding

and a porch.

The Costa Mesa Cultural Arts and Historic Resources Committee held the

meeting Thursday to offer community members more information about the

house and the possible restoration project before the council meeting.

“We hope people will share with the council their reasons for wanting

the house restored,” said Councilwoman Linda Dixon, a major proponent of

restoring the house. “People want these things in their communities, and

we have the opportunity to offer it.”

But not everyone favors restoring the house, which is temporarily

housed in TeWinkle Park.

Councilman Gary Monahan said the money could be better spent on other

projects, such as improving the city’s streets.

“The process of moving and storing the Huscroft House is going to cost

hundreds of thousands of dollars, and it’s not worth it,” he said.

Dixon said the council is already making an effort to improve streets

and that the money would go further if it were used to restore the house

than if it were put toward more street improvements.

The council in December approved the restoration of the house --

donated to the city by Eric Cernich, a developer and Costa Mesa resident

who bought it from the Huscroft family -- for use as part of a cultural

museum at Fairview Park, but in February voted to have a public hearing

to determine if it’s worth the cost.

Moving the house to Fairview Park is expected to cost the city

$137,707.

According to a staff report, the city has already spent $82,124 on the

house and would have to spend an additional $446,774, plus an annual

operation and maintenance cost of $18,000, to restore the house for use

as a museum.

Demolition and disposal of the house would cost $60,950, according to

the report.

Dixon said she thinks the restoration will cost less than expected

because the city will be able to collect donations and use volunteers.

FYI:

WHAT: Regular Costa Mesa City Council meeting

WHERE: Costa Mesa City Hall, 77 Fair Drive

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Monday

PHONE: (714) 754-5223