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