INSIDE CITY HALL Here are some...

INSIDE CITY HALL

Here are some of the decisions coming out of the Costa Mesa City

Council meeting Monday.

COSTA MESA’S 50TH BIRTHDAY

City Council members decided Monday each of the city’s years was

worth at least $1,000 and approved a $50,000 expenditure to plan for

the “CostaMazing Celebration.”

The yearlong celebration would mark the city’s 50th anniversary of

incorporation with three major events: An anniversary party to take

place in July 2003, a Fairview Fun Run to take place in January 2004

and a “Dining Through the Decades: 50 Years of Costa Mesa Cuisine”

event in June 2004. To make all this happen, council members also

created a committee to begin planning the event.

The anniversary events will eventually bring in about $54,500 in

fees, admissions, etc. The total cost to put on the event will be

about $89,481. The city’s out-of-pocket costs, then, would be

$34,981, which is well under the $50,000 set aside for CostaMazing.

Costa Mesa was incorporated on June 29, 1953. The city has

designated its anniversary year as June 29, 2003, until June 28,

2004.

WHAT IT MEANS: The city will hold a blow-out celebration of its

half-decade mark.

EASTSIDE OVERLAY

Council members unanimously voted Monday to research the

possibility of spot-specific zoning for an Eastside track as an

effort to break away from blanket regulation.

Councilman Gary Monahan placed the growing concerns of a number of

residents on the agenda to discuss a proposal to prohibit certain

two-story developments in a four-block area, bordered by 18th and

19th streets and Tustin and Irvine avenues.

Council members said they were willing to at least look into the

possibility of zoning to the specific needs of a smaller neighborhood

and directed planning staff to further research specific zoning to

outlaw “over-imposing” second-story additions.

The idea came from 18 residents who were opposed to big box

developments, which they describe as “two-story structures that

extend from an existing single-family home, reaching along the lot’s

side and rear yard to the alley, and [include] second-story

construction over a garage.”

A handful of other neighbors in the area opposed the idea, saying

it was unnecessary and would greatly change the “curbside appeal” of

the area. They argued that 18 out of 140 homeowners was hardly

majority support.

WHAT IT MEANS: City planners will explore the pros and cons of

zoning for a specific area and bring the item back to the council at

a meeting yet to be scheduled.

WHAT WAS SAID: “I don’t want you to think that my intention is to

restrict adding on. My intent is to see if this is a good idea and,

if it is, what’s the best for this area and, even larger, can it be

used for other areas of the city?”

-- Gary Monahan

-- Compiled by Lolita Harper