Bridging the gap to reality

All the proof necessary to show that the Costa Mesa Community

Redevelopment Action Committee needs to be reconfigured, refocused or

just done away with can be contained in one short phrase: the 19th

Street bridge.

After months of inaction, when the most compelling discussion

concerning the committee was focused on whether it had too many

members, the group finally has produced a halting suggestion for how

to improve the Westside. But rather than being constructive,

imaginative or even realistic, the committee urged the City Council

to spend money on studies of whether a bridge connecting Costa Mesa

to Huntington Beach is feasible.

It is the same bridge, the same plan, that has been a point of

contention for decades. And during those years of discussion, almost

every reasonable voice has concluded that the bridge is an atrocious

idea. But, because the proposed bridge still exists on county plans,

the notion refuses to die.

It is long since time it did, for numerous reasons. But the two

most compelling for Costa Mesa residents should be these: it will

greatly increase traffic through town and, like it or not, Costa Mesa

is not a beach-front town.

The traffic issue is one familiar to hundreds of residents who,

over the years, have spoken out against the 19th Street bridge plan.

Images of what would amount to a highway along 19th Street, drawing

cars from Coast Highway and the Costa Mesa Freeway heading through

their neighborhoods sparked their concern and opposition. It has been

a concern shared by Huntington Beach residents living on the other

end of the proposed bridge.

The other issue may be a difficult pill for some to swallow. But

nature -- and those planning city boundaries -- did not intend for

Costa Mesa to share Newport Beach and Huntington Beach’s fortunate

beachfront locale. Continuing to try to alter this reality will serve

no good purpose. It will most likely spawn similarly incredible ideas

for improving Costa Mesa.

And that is not what the city needs. Costa Mesa has much to offer

home buyers, business owners and shopkeepers. Its location -- even

lacking lapping waves -- is enviable. Its mix of neighborhoods

provides an obvious alternative for people who do not want to live in

gated communities. It has a track record with South Coast Plaza and

companies ranging from Emulex to Hurley that should draw other

businesses. It largely shares Orange County’s record for low crime.

These fundamentals are what should be the basis for improving

Costa Mesa. And make no mistake: There are areas the city can

improve. Parts of the Westside are more rundown than they should be.

Poor planning in the past has left the city with development issues

that need to be addressed as it begins to redevelop, rather than

continue to grow. Housing in parts of the city are substandard.

But these are not issues that a bridge will solve. And if members

of the redevelopment committee cannot see that, it is time for the

City Council to take drastic steps to get Costa Mesa’s renewal in

line.

Reduce the number of members (about a dozen have already quit,

perhaps recognizing the group’s futility). Provide them with a clear,

precise mission. And then, listen when members reach workable

proposals.