Mayor tries pleasing every side
Lolita Harper
COSTA MESA -- Mayor Libby Cowan has suggested that two additional
hours be given to community groups that wish to address the City Council
about the proposed Home Ranch project, according to a city memo.
Although council members had previously decided to have the city
attorney’s office advise them on how to respond to requests for more
time, Cowan wrote in a memo that she and City Manager Allan Roeder had
discussed a possible solution.
Cowan proposed the council hear two hours of special presentation from
established community groups at the Nov. 13 meeting. The time will be
divided equally among the number of groups who wish to speak.
“I think all of us would rather err on the side of affording too much
opportunity for testimony than too little,” the memo read. “Since we have
previously afforded certain groups the right to make presentations, it
seems only fair and equitable to do so for others.”
The council is expected to vote tonight on whether to allow additional
comment.
At the last meeting, members of Costa Mesa United -- a new community
group -- asked the council for time to make a presentation similar to the
one given by Costa Mesa Citizens for Responsible Growth. Costa Mesa
United supports Home Ranch while Citizens for Responsible Growth opposes
it. Since the question was raised last week, more groups wrote letters to
the city asking for the same courtesy, the city clerk’s office said.
Cowan’s memo to the council outlined the proposed process to allow
certain groups additional time to make presentations. The community group
must have 10 or more members and submit each person’s name and addresses
to the city before the Nov. 13 meeting, the memo said.
Any resident who is part of a group presentation may also address the
council as an individual during the general comment time for the Home
Ranch project, the suggestion read.
Roeder said any ideas being discussed are just recommendations and
would have to be reviewed by the city attorney’s office for a final
ruling.
Because of the large amount of community interest in the development
that proposes to bring a flagship Ikea furniture store to Costa Mesa --
along with a mix of industrial, commercial and residential land use --
city officials said a decision on the proposed development is still weeks
away.
“Council wants to make sure they take all the time they need to hear
from the residents and make a well-informed decision,” Roeder said.
The city manager said he did not want residents to pack council
chambers thinking a decision would be made, only to be disappointed by a
continuation of the subject.
With the large amount of paperwork involved in the Home Ranch project,
Cowan said it would be impossible to be ready for a decision at tonight’s
meeting.
In fact, Cowan said she would be surprised if the council was ready
for a decision by the meeting planned for Nov. 13.
Behind the scenes, planning department staff has researched questions
raised by council members at the Aug. 29 meeting and will present some
answers tonight.
Councilwoman Karen Robinson arguably asked the most questions, calling
for clarification on proposed trip budgets and the efforts to balance
jobs and housing.
“I’d like to see how staff justified that in their mind,” Robinson
said last week about the job and housing balance.
Planning staff will also attempt to answer Robinson’s questions about
possible toxins produced by the Los Angeles Times building that borders
the site and how traffic will be lightened if the project is built.
Councilwoman Linda Dixon asked to see a more clear picture on how the
1990 general plan was decided, specifically why residential units were
proposed next to the rail spur and a newspaper printing press. Cowan also
asked for answers about housing, specifically about the effect of cutting
the housing portion on that site nearly in half -- from about 30 to 16
acres.
* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)
574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .
FYI:
What: City Council meeting
When: 5:30 p.m., tonight
Where: City Hall, 77 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa
Information: (714) 754-5223
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