COMMUNITY COMMENTARY -- Robin Leffler

It’s time for a reality check.

There is a great misrepresentation floating around about the type of

development that Costa Mesa’s current general plan allows for Home Ranch.

Proponents of the huge Segerstrom proposal perpetuate the misinformation

that “current zoning calls for the property to be used primarily for

warehouses” and that those warehouses would be ugly eyesores serviced by

exaggerated numbers of “18-wheelers” (Letters to the Editor, “Home Ranch

outperforms the general plan,” Forrest Werner).

Let’s get back to reality. The zoning on the approximately 62.5 acres

of lima bean field in question is planned development industrial.

According to Costa Mesa’s general plan, this industrial park designation

permits “a wide variety of industrial and compatible office and support

commercial uses. Industrial parks are characterized by large parcels and

landscaped setbacks which lend to the creation of a spacious

environment.” Corporate headquarters, low-rise offices, research and

development facilities and attractively designed, landscaped warehouses

could all be part of the mix on the Home Ranch. Not only is this what our

general plan actually says about the Home Ranch zoning, city staff

provided a chart confirming that any of these uses are allowed on Home

Ranch, at the proper density. Our current general plan for the site is an

excellent lower-density, lower-traffic plan.

Furthermore, any development plans would first be reviewed by city

staff for conformity to the industrial park design standards. In any

planned development zone, plans also must have a public hearing prior to

approval. Between city and public scrutiny, and the Segerstroms’ usual

quality control, there is no way any junky, unsightly development would

take place.

Under current general plan guidelines, to control the amount of

traffic in our city, an office-type building in the industrial park zone

would be built at a lower density than a warehouse because an office

generates more traffic than a warehouse.

It is extremely unlikely that the traffic from a planned industrial

park would ever include as many “18-wheeler” trucks as the fear-mongers

are touting.

In any case, it is important to keep in mind the Segerstroms want to

double the traffic allowed under our general plan. On Home Ranch, a trip

budget is in place that supports low density development. This is of

great benefit to the community as a method to limit traffic and preserve

open space. In fact, that seems to be the developer’s main problem with

our current general plan. If Costa Mesa honors its own general plan,

there will be too little traffic and too much open space. Wouldn’t that

be a shame.

* ROBIN LEFFLER is vice president of Costa Mesa Citizens for

Responsible Growth.