From the Newsroom -- Tony Dodero

For the better part of 12 years now, I’ve driven past a chunk of land

on Newport Boulevard that for most of those years looked like it would

have fit better in a Depression-era dust bowl town than in Costa Mesa.

Squished between a strip mall and Armstrong Nursery, the land that

sits a stone’s throw away from our newsroom offices, was home to an old

wheat field. For several decades it had been that way, except for the

short periods of time in December when the Noonan family used it for a

Christmas tree lot.

Not anymore.

Every weekday morning for the past few months I have watched as piece

by piece a new monument to God is built on the land -- the new home to

the Calvary Church of Costa Mesa.

First it was the parking structure with steel cables spreading into

the air like carrot tops. Most recently, I watched as the children’s

center building practically materialized overnight.

Now the final piece of that puzzle, the church sanctuary itself,

awaits. But that’s going to take some time to complete and a little

explaining on my part to tell you why.

First, though, we have the whole debate over a tent. A combination of

real estate market forces and city moratoriums has delayed church Pastor

Tim Celek’s ability to sell his 2.9-acre Orange Avenue property, which

would have helped provide the needed cash to build the new sanctuary.

So Celek pitched (exuse the pun) a new plan to build a tent-type

structure on the property where worship services will be held until the

money is there to build the permanent building. City staffers OK’d the

idea and the plan moved forward, until last week’s Planning Commission

meeting.

Celek was stunned when the commission denied his plans to put up the

dome-shaped tent that would match the rest of the site in tone and color,

especially since the city’s staff had given him the greenlight three

times.

“I just can’t see how it can be good for the people of Costa Mesa to

have a tent structure on Newport Boulevard,” Commissioner Eleanor Egan

said at that meeting. Egan teamed with colleagues Bruce Garlich and

Katrina Foley to send Celek back to the drawing board.

OK, hold on a minute here. Is Egan talking about the same Newport

Boulevard that I have driven down for 12 years?

Aside from having the aesthetics of cars sputtering down the Costa

Mesa Freeway, this strip of roadway has such things as a tattoo parlor,

auto repair shops, a feed barn complete with a cow atop the roof, liquor

stores and multiple donut shops.

Across the freeway from Celek’s property is a worn-around-the edges

Stater Bros. Market, a hodgepodge of old businesses, strip malls and

motels, including the Ali Baba motor inn, itself a gold-leafed, dome-like

structure that can be seen for miles around.

As someone told me, “we’re not talking Rodeo Drive here.”

Speaking of domes, another problem the commissioners had with the

plan, isn’t Nike Town and Border’s Books shaped that way?

So yeah, I’m a little puzzled by the idea that Celek’s structure is

somehow going to bring down the neighborhood.

Celek is, too. And he contends it was a city moratorium on development

of lots on the Eastside of town that stalled the sale of the church’s

Orange Avenue property in the first place.

“It is only in our best interest to continue to enhance what we have

already put money into,” he said, noting that he wants what’s best for

the site also, contending he has improved the property already. “It’s a

step up. It’s very appealing.”

And he really takes issue with the whole idea that he’s putting up a

tent.

“To call this a tent is like comparing a pup tent with a Fleetwood,”

he said.

Commissioners suggested Celek hold services in the children’s center,

but to do that, he’d have to spend an additional $200,000 in design costs

as well as lose the space planned for a community learning center and

afterschool theater for children.

So what’s next?

Well Celek received some good news when Councilman Gary Monahan vowed

to appeal the commission’s ruling to the City Council.

Speaking of the council, Celek and members of his congregation will be

at Costa Mesa City Hall tonight to plea for the council to help them out.

Also, there is the matter of a federal law that could well place the

Planning Commission in legal hot water.

The law, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of

2000, was written by Sens. Orin Hatch of Utah and Ted Kennedy of

Massachusetts and signed by President Bill Clinton. It specifically

addresses governments that impose “land-use regulations” on churches or

religious institutions.

My bet is I’ll be seeing that tent on one of my morning drives to the

office in the real near future.

***

This week should provide a good mixture of seriousness with the

election Tuesday and some good times with the kickoff of the eighth

annual Toshiba Senior classic.

Of course most everyone in this town has a good reason to get to the

polls with the Measure W initiative looming on the ballot that could

indeed kill all dreams of an airport at El Toro.

March primary elections have proven in the past to be low turnouts, so

let’s prove them wrong this time around and get out and vote.

As for Toshiba, let’s hope the decision to move the tournament back a

week because of previously soggy weekends will prove to be a good move.

Either way, the tourney is usually a good time for all and as an added

benefit provides about $1 million a year in proceeds to Hoag Hospital.

* TONY DODERO is the editor. His column appears on Mondays. If you

have story ideas or concerns about news coverage, please send messages

either via e-mail to o7 tony.dodero@latimes.comf7 or by phone at

949-574-4258.