Westside panel gains interest, size

Lolita Harper

COSTA MESA -- The size of a committee designed to focus on the

Westside’s redevelopment seems to grow as the synergy involved in the

proposed project increases.

The City Council -- acting as the Redevelopment Agency -- voted 4 to 1

to appoint 75 people to the Westside Redevelopment Action Committee and

reserved additional positions for representatives from various homeowners

associations and residents of north Costa Mesa.

Councilman Gary Monahan dissented, saying the group was too big.

“I’m glad so many people are enthusiastic, but we are not going to be

able to get anything done with such a large committee,” he said Tuesday.

The redevelopment meeting at the Costa Mesa Senior Center attracted

about 200 people and sparked a general sense of excitement about

improving some of the city’s most impoverished areas. In addition to

focusing on the Westside, the council also voted to include the

Coolidge-Fillmore and Mission-Mendoza neighborhoods in the redevelopment

area.

“I was thrilled with the meeting last night,” said Councilwoman Libby

Cowan on Tuesday. “I’m very optimistic.”

The Westside Redevelopment Committee was created to forge a working

plan for the future of that neighborhood. Although the other areas have

been added to the overall area, the committee will focus on the needs of

the westernmost portion of the city. The original committee was designed

to have about 46 members, with positions designated for representatives

of various community organizations, churches, residents and property and

business owners.

Interest in the committee was slow at first, but by the deadline, the

city received 45 applications. In the following week, even more letters

of interest came in.

Mayor Linda Dixon and Councilman Chris Steel approached Cowan -- who

initiated the committee -- with the idea of including all

applicants.Cowan said she fully supported the suggestion.

“I’m for giving everyone a chance, and I’m for diversity,” said Steel,

who was initially critical of the size of the group. “We’ll see if it

works out well.”

The modified group now includes an additional 30 members and seats are

reserved for representatives from any of the various homeowners

associations on the Westside.

A professional facilitator will work with the committee to find common

goals for the western section of the city and then present a formal

report to the City Council, which will make the final decision on any

redevelopment. The process is scheduled to take 18 months.

Monahan said the committee could be as large as 105 people,

considering the many numerous condominium complexes -- each its own

association -- on the Westside.

“The facilitator really has his work cut out for him because he has to

bring 105 personalities to some sort of unified position,” Monahan said.

“Hopefully, leadership will emerge from the community and be narrowed

down to a couple of spokespeople.”

The various personalities are what make the committee dynamic, Cowan

said. Not only does it allow for a variety of input, it gives people a

chance to get to know their neighbors and learn about different

viewpoints during the process.

“There is a synergy that will be created by the people in this process

that will work,” Cowan said. “I think the bigger the better.”

* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .