Art district plan going to Council

Deirdre Newman

Planning Commissioner Katrina Foley’s innovative alternative for the

Theater and Arts District has earned the unanimous approval of the

city’s Cultural Arts Committee.

Foley’s alternative and a plan put forth by planning and

redevelopment staff members will go to the City Council in early

February.

The Theater and Arts District refers to the area bordered by

Bristol Street on the west, Sunflower Avenue on the north, Avenue of

the Arts on the east and the San Diego Freeway on the south,

Redevelopment Manager Mike Robinson said.

Goals of the staff members’ plan are to ensure consistency and

superior design for prominent parts of public and outdoor private

spaces in the area and to provide a funding mechanism for public

improvements. Foley’s plan calls for the same goals, without the

staff members’ oversight, and also provides funding for arts and

music in Costa Mesa public schools.

The committee favored Foley’s plan because of the idea of

supporting students, Vice Chairwoman Charlene Ashendorf said.

“The first reason is we are really excited about the potential for

$300,000 to be committed to the creation of the music scholarship

program for Costa Mesa’s students,” Ashendorf said. “These are tough

times. We are always looking for money for programs for the arts.”

A Theater and Arts District plan is required by the three

development agreements for the Segerstrom Town Center, Segerstrom

Center for the Arts and Two Town Center. Development agreements are

hashed out before the city gives its approval to certain projects and

usually include applicants committing money to the city for community

benefits in return for entitlements they receive.

C.J. Segerstrom & Sons is required to fund $1 million in

improvements and CommonWealth Partners, which owns Two Town Center,

has to pitch in $1.2 million. The Segerstroms support both plans,

spokesman Paul Freeman said in November.

Only about $650,000 of the $2.2 million total is necessary for the

public improvements. Foley’s plan suggests that a minimum of $300,000

of the rest be allocated for the Arts and Music Scholar program. This

would fund programs, productions, courses, field trips and

scholarships for Costa Mesa public school students ages 4 through 18.

Another proponent of Foley’s plan is Christine Anderson, the

principal of Sonora School. To get music and the arts, especially in

kindergarten through third grade, usually requires funding from

outside sources, Anderson said.

“I think it’s an outstanding idea, of course, because it brings

money into schools for the arts, which is just fabulous, especially

with our budget concerns,” she said. “To have money for those things

is just such a treat.”