Solution needed to all that sports traffic

This letter is in support of the letter from Charles Massingill

concerning the use of fields by local sport teams (“Fairview Park

needs to be a spot for sports, too,” Thursday) and the citywide

problem for residents about sport field usage.

Over the past several years, we have been increasingly inundated

with more traffic and parking problems due to the number of

activities at both Kaiser School and the Boys & Girls Club. This

occurs after school until sundown and all day Saturday and Sunday. It

is our understanding that the field usage is to be scheduled for only

two games at any given time and that the Kaiser parking lots and

school gates should be open for the parents to use.

Massingill suggests in his letter the members of the Costa Mesa

City Council should drive by any afternoon or weekend to see the cars

parked on Tustin Avenue and 21st Street. We concur. The Costa Mesa

Planning Commission has policies that provide that off-street parking

must be provided for all events. The Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation

Department continually overlooks this policy booking numerous events

in excess of available parking, causing the surrounding residents to

bear the brunt of their decisions.

There are solutions that may apply to all facilities. Educate the

parents to only use available off-street parking. Lock park gates

where possible to enforce the parking in designated areas. Limit

field use to available parking, allowing enough time between games to

vacate the lots of the previous event. Tournament playoff games

should not be in residential neighborhoods.

There is a special note here regarding safety. It is far more

dangerous for a child to cross a busy street, from between parked

cars, than to walk through a parking lot with a designated drop off

area.

We are aware the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Kaiser is to

receive $500,000 for improvements. We believe the city simply will

not have funds to provide for the improvements due to California’s

budget shortfalls. This type of planning will not solve the problem

of traffic and the constant noise of recreation parks in residential

areas; it will only increase street traffic and commotion.

As we write this at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Tustin and 21st streets

are completely full with only 10 cars parked in the Kaiser main

parking lot. Parents started arriving at 8 a.m. Our neighborhoods do

not deserve this.

ANN MARIE AND ROGER ALFORD

Newport Beach