READERS RESPOND -- Dust swirls around Home Ranch project

As a resident of Costa Mesa and someone who has reviewed the Home

Ranch project, I can say that I support Home Ranch. This project has been

assembled with community input and reflects the type of things we need

and want in our community.

The community does not want rental apartment housing, so we are

getting a community of single-family detached homes and townhomes. The

community does not want five-story buildings lining the freeway, so we

are getting a project that limits where these types of buildings can be

built.

The community does not want Ikea to be a blue icon as you enter our

city, so we are getting a 75% reduction in the blue and increased

landscaping. The community does not want industrial and warehouse

buildings with low-paying jobs, so we are getting corporate sites with

high-paying professional jobs.

The community wants to preserve the Segerstrom family home, so we are

getting 1.5 acres dedicated to preserving the historic home, barn and

other buildings, with a $250,000 endowment to maintain it in perpetuity.

It seems like we are getting what we want out of Home Ranch. I urge

you to consider the facts. Home Ranch is what this community wants.

SUSAN E. CASTANEDA

Costa Mesa

Councilman Chris Steel, in order to stay true to his word, must

either: vote to oppose the Segerstrom project and other

employment-creating projects, or require a living wage at these new

businesses that will make the jobs attractive to people who can afford to

live in Costa Mesa.

If he doesn’t, he reneges on his election promises. If he doesn’t, the

new development will bring more low-wage immigrant workers to the city of

Costa Mesa. If he doesn’t, we will continue to work to make sure that the

workers he has attracted are housed and educated in the city of Costa

Mesa.

ALLEN BALDWIN

Costa Mesa

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Allen Baldwin is the executive director of the Orange

County Community Housing Corp.

The Segerstrom family has done many wonderful things for the city of

Costa Mesa. However, when they were planning the Home Ranch development,

did they consider the need for a park among the new homes they intend to

build? Perhaps a park could replace the Ikea store, and the Ikea store

could be relocated to the Huntington Center, which has been partially

empty for a number of years. Just a thought.

MARY LOU DORN

Costa Mesa

I think the Segerstroms just tried to buy their way into this Home

Ranch project. They don’t really care about the Costa Mesa schools

because there’s a string attached. If they don’t get the permit, they

won’t donate the $2 million. I think that’s pretty low.

ED KAO

Costa Mesa

Thanks for the column from Byron de Arakal (“City’s destiny will be

cast in Home Ranch debate,” Aug. 16).

In some quarters, this issue has been deemed to be less than

noteworthy; maybe not even news. De Arakal’s column presented some

intriguing issues that are in discussion around our town. It is on the

minds of most citizens in north Costa Mesa. It should be on the minds of

all Costa Mesa residents.

The Home Ranch project is not a done deal. Many people around our town

have assumed that because the work along the freeway is underway, that

the Home Ranch is already under construction. Not true. As de Arakal

points out, there are still the approvals of the environmental-impact

report and the project plans as currently configured. Will Costa Mesa

have access to the San Diego Freeway at Harbor Boulevard and will

Fairview Avenue come to resemble the Town Center area?

De Arakal clearly and appropriately suggests that opposition exists in

our community. That may be an understatement. The developers are keenly

aware that the resistance is there and are putting forth significant

effort to “sell” their project with its significant negative traffic

impacts, as well as major pollution contributions.

They offer incentives and inducements to support their project. Costa

Mesa has only its quality of life, as pointed out by de Arakal.

This is truly an issue that the citizens can have a voice on, whether

in support or in opposition. The important fact to be noted is that

people should speak out whether they favor the project or not. Their

voices make a difference to our decision makers. The worst case is to let

their concerns go unheard, and then to bear the impact of what has been

done in their silence.

JIM ATKINSON

Costa Mesa