An increasingly more organized opposition

Lolita Harper

COSTA MESA -- They started by nodding to each other and exchanging

friendly hellos at City Council meetings in the 1980s.

Nearly 20 years later, residents opposed to the Home Ranch project

have transformed themselves from a group of disenfranchised stragglers to

an organized association -- Costa Mesa Citizens for Responsible Growth --

with enough clout to be awarded a three-hour special presentation against

the development.

What kept the group together over the years?

A common disdain for projects that repeatedly called for changes to

the Segerstroms’ former lima bean fields into what the critics claim to

be traffic and pollution-creating monsters.

From the early battles surrounding Home Ranch, two council members

were born. And Karen Robinson, who is serving her first term, was also

largely elected by the same people.

Former mayor Sandy Genis has been involved since the beginning, she

said.

Genis credits Mesa Action -- a now obsolete community group -- with

sparking the anti-Home Ranch movement. Mesa Action formed to oppose the

building of the amphitheater on the fairgrounds and what was formerly

known as Crystal Court. Genis said the group, although made up of

different members, got people thinking about growth in general.

“If Mesa Action hadn’t raised consciousness, we wouldn’t have all

gotten together to talk about things,” Genis said.

When the first Home Ranch proposal hit the agenda, people such as

Genis started talking about its problems during meeting breaks. Those

conversations grew to outside meetings, and the residents formed a

network so strong they were able to block two previous Home Ranch

proposals.

Even when the group filed a lawsuit against the city for approving the

second Home Ranch proposal, it had not officially formed.

“We were still trying to figure out what name to use on the filing

papers,” Genis said.

The group was not officially named Costa Mesa Citizens for Responsible

Growth until this summer. Old members came together once again, saying

“it’s back,” Genis said. At the same time, new activists became involved

because they were concerned about the most recent plans, especially the

proposed Ikea store.