City will consider applying for Fairview Park grants

Lolita Harper

COSTA MESA -- The City Council will decide tonight whether to apply

for highly competitive grants to secure funding for Fairview Park,

officials said.

In July, the California Department of Parks and Recreation notified

the city that three projects designated for Fairview Park were nominated

for Urban Recreational and Cultural Centers funding.

A total of $8 million is available in grant funding, and the city is

asking for $7,526,660, a staff report said. The report also notes that it

is highly unlikely the city will receive funding for all three projects.

Included are a botanical garden, habitat restoration area and the

Fairview Park Huscroft House Cultural Museum.

Since the council has since decided not to move the Huscroft House to

Fairview Park and instead sell it or demolish it, the city must revise

its application. Instead of funding for the museum, the city will instead

ask only for the money for the proposed parking lot, which would still be

used to access the east side of the park, said Parks Project Manager Dave

Alkema.

Resident and Fairview Park enthusiast Bob Graham said that funding for

the parking lot would greatly improve access to the park and hopefully

garner more public support. Current access to that side of the park

requires the public to use the railroad parking lot, which is usually

locked on the weekends, Graham said.

“Hopefully we can get some of these projects funded. Just the parking

lot alone would allow so many more residents the opportunity to enjoy the

park and its natural mental therapy,” Graham said.

If funding is approved for habitat restoration, 111 acres of exotic

weeds would be removed and replaced with California native plants,

officials said. The application also calls for an automatic irrigation

system, bicycle and pedestrian trails and signage throughout the park.

The botanical garden would consist of 33.52 acres of various regional

plants.

Applying for grant funding for the projects does not lock the city

into building them, Councilman Gary Monahan said. The money can always be

returned if it isn’t needed but the important first step is applying, he

said.

* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .