Residents’ group opposes land sale

Deirdre Newman

Mesa Verde Homeowners Assn. is opposing the sale of several small

slivers of Fairview Park to property owners who have been treating

the land as their own backyards.

In September, the City Council approved the research of what it

would take to sell the small parcels of land in the back of 17 homes

on Swan Drive. Tuesday, the council will receive an update on that

research from Public Services Director Bill Morris.

The homeowners association, which includes Swan Drive residents,

opposes the sale because it only benefits a few homeowners.

“It’s not really the encroachment that’s the issue,” association

member Bob Graham said. “The issue is a few of them see the advantage

to themselves financially of owning this additional property, making

their lots bigger and making them more valuable.”

Swan Drive homeowners have encroached on the area west of

Placentia Avenue by building block walls, wooden and chain-link

fences, planters and other landscaping. The 17 homeowners have

exceeded their property limits from less than a foot to more than 22

feet.

When the council directed research to start on what it would take

to sell the encroachments, they added a catch: all the encroachers

have to buy into the plan, because otherwise there could be

land-locked parcels that would be impossible to reach or maintain.

Association president Darnell Wyrick suggested the encroached land

be used as a community garden.

“We spent close to $71,000 to prepare the Charle-Hamilton

community garden so people could establish gardens,” Wyrick said.

“That’s a better use for the [encroached] property in light of all

the expenditures our budget has undergone.”

Morris said it could take about two-and-a-half years and cost an

estimated $93,000 just to get to the point where the council can make

an informed decision on whether to sell. Morris said he will suggest

that the homeowners who are encroaching pay that price.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.