Briefly in the news

Vendors of the Market Place at the Orange County Fairgrounds plan to

turn out in numbers to express their dissatisfaction with preliminary

proposals for future use of the site.

Tom Askew, president of the Orange County Market Place Merchant’s

Assn., said anywhere between 75 and 300 business owners are expected to

show up to let the fair board know the potential problems with

preliminary plans for the fairground’s master plan.

Fairground officials held a public meeting Oct. 3 to unveil three

preliminary plans for the future of the site bordered by the Costa Mesa

Freeway, Fair Drive, Fairview Road and Arlington Boulevard. The board

will vote on the proposals Thursday.

Although plans call for a possible increase in square footage of the

Market Place, they also call for it to be pushed to the rear of the

property, which Askew said will hurt business.

“They basically put us up in a corner and pushed us off to the side,”

Askew said. “We need the exposure. We need to be out front where our

customers can see us.”

The fair’s board of directors will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday in

Building 17 on the Orange County Fairgrounds, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa.

Information: (714) 708-1500.