Old church site is on the lookout...

Old church site is on the lookout for a few good homes

In writing this, I hope that at least one of the Costa Mesa City

Council members reads the Mailbag section of the Daily Pilot.

I recently received a notice in the mail regarding a request for

variance in my neighborhood. I gave it a cursory once over and almost

dropped it in the trash. It was the address and number of homes that

stopped me. I remembered a similar name from a request for variance a

couple of years ago: Tim Celek, pastor of the Crossing church in

Costa Mesa that was formerly known as Calvary Church of Newport Mesa.

Calvary Church of Newport Mesa is located on Orange Avenue but

because of expansion, the church purchased land on Newport Boulevard

where it plans to build a much larger sanctuary in two phases. The

educational building and parking structure have been constructed and

services are now held is a temporary structure.

Between fighting for the right to build a “tent” next to a parking

structure on Newport Boulevard and now tearing down a church to build

a high-density housing project, it’s a good thing sermons are on

Sundays. His church seems to be a tax shelter for a development

company and he is using his position as minister to gain sympathy

from the city council to “maximize” the potential of property that

was given to the church over 50 years ago and expected to remain a

church. Unfortunately, over the years different ministers have come

and gone from the 23rd street location and most of them have

respected the wishes of the original owner of the property when he

gave the land to the church.

It is one thing to want a larger venue for services and to want to

reach as many people as possible. I also understand that businesses

outgrow locations. The three things that I don’t understand are:

Why would someone who supposedly supports the community need a

variance to stuff as many houses as possible onto the Orange Avenue

property?

Why is it that every time I hear Celek’s name, it has to do with

land development and building code variances?

Have we all forgotten what it means to be a part of the community?

This proposed project will heavily affect an area that is trying

to become a good place to raise kids. It will add traffic, create

parking problems and set a bad precedent for future projects in this

neighborhood. Besides the fact that a bunch of oversized houses with

no yards will not make good neighbors.

I hope that the City Council will see that those of us who

actually live in this neighborhood are trying to make it kid friendly

and not high density.

MIKE SCHARNELL

Costa Mesa

Land sale at Fairview Park could fund repairs on Placentia Avenue

Eleanore Trigher’s is right on regarding repaving Placentia Avenue

(“Pleading for proper paving on Placentia,” Mailbag, April 10) It is

the worst and most traveled street in Costa Mesa.

I suggest the City Council vote to repave it. And it could get

some money for that goal by selling the land in Fairview Park to the

folks on Swan Drive. I saw where the city of Newport Beach is

thinking of selling land to folks who back up to certain streets or

parks that is of no use to the city, or letting them use the land. If

the city wants it back, then they must remove their improvements. To

me that is a city that wants its residents happy.

But it seems that some of the small-minded folks in Costa Mesa

can’t stand to see their neighbors happy. Could that be why the homes

that have a Newport Beach address sell for so much money?

DAVID V. SCHWEITZER

Costa Mesa