A step taken to redevelop Westside

Lolita Harper

City leaders on Monday took a step toward creating a redevelopment

area along the commercial corridor of 19th Street as part of their

continued push for improvement on the Westside, despite several

failed attempts.

The City Council, acting as the Redevelopment Agency, unanimously

directed staff members on Monday to put together a preliminary

redevelopment plan for the commercial corridor along 19th Street

between Maple Street and Federal Avenue, as well as five parcels to

the south of the major thoroughfare on Center Street, redevelopment

manager Mike Robinson said.

This feat is the latest in a series of attempts to take official,

city-sanctioned action to improve the Westside by means of

redevelopment. For years, city officials have been researching a way

to add to its existing redevelopment area, which consists of Triangle

Square and Costa Mesa Courtyards. Other endeavors, such as the

Westside Specific Plan and a 432-acre addition to the downtown

redevelopment area, were met with uncompromising opposition and since

abandoned.

“This is a natural extension of our downtown redevelopment area,”

said Mayor Gary Monahan, adding that economic studies of the

commercial area along 19th have proven it to be “economically

depressed.”

Research shows that turnover in that commercial corridor is twice

as high as in the rest of the city, lease value is considerably lower

than other areas in Costa Mesa, and the dollar activity per

square-foot is lower.

The only businesses that seem to thrive on that strip are

restaurants, Monahan said. If the city can find a way to spread that

success to the rest of the area, things could turn around, he added.

A redevelopment area along 19th Street would be more acceptable to

Westside residents, Monahan said, because it “makes financial sense.”

Redevelopment is a formal process that earmarks qualifying

properties and siphons associated taxes into a fund for area

improvements. The smaller area of the commercial corridor lends

itself to that kind of improvement, Monahan said.

“There is a light at the end of the tunnel in this scenario,” the

mayor said. “The larger area, especially in the residential and

industrial portions, did not show economic feasibility. This

particular tool -- redevelopment -- would not have been effective in

those areas.”

Monahan said residents should to remember that formal

redevelopment is just one tool that can be used for revitalizing the

Westside.

Councilman Allan Mansoor agreed wholeheartedly and was

disappointed that the council did not pursue incentives to promote

private improvements in conjunction with redevelopment. While Mansoor

voted to move forward with plans for 19th Street, he is hoping for

more immediate forms of improvement.

Mansoor touted incentives such as specific overlay zones, fee

reductions and density options to entice successful businesses to the

Westside while waiting for progress in the redevelopment process.

Once city staff members detail an area for redevelopment, the

plans will go to the Planning Commission for their input, Robinson

said. The plans will then return to the council, for final approval.

Robinson said it could take about eight months to reach a definitive

vote.

“I think we need to get the ball rolling now on improvement on the

Westside in general,” Mansoor said. “Redevelopment is such a long

process, and I want to get something started right now.”

* LOLITA HARPER is the community forum editor. She also writes

columns Wednesdays and Fridays. She may be reached at (949) 574-4275

or by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.