Now that skate park is open, we...

Now that skate park is open, we need more

I attended the grand opening of Costa Mesa’s skate park Tuesday

and was very impressed.

After a generation of feet-dragging and talking, the new Volcom

Park is terrific. Congratulations to the politicians who finally

agreed to build it, to the city staff who got it done and to Volcom

for its sponsorship and support.

My unofficial poll, conducted at the opening, tells me that the

young people love it -- and want more, more, more.

So, here’s my proposal: Instead of spending another million bucks

to build another big one, why don’t we use some of the pocket parks

around town for mini-skate parks -- something designed more for the

little folks. These could be tucked off in a corner of any number of

the nearly 30 parks we have in this city.

Each one could be just a little different, both in size and

complexity but would be venues for the neighborhood kids to develop

their skills. It seems like an idea worth considering.

GEOFF WEST

Costa Mesa

A green city hall could get public support

Eventually there is going to be a new city hall. How we get from

here to there -- how much we spend; whether that expenditure needs to

be approved by voters; and, if so, whether voters approved it -- is

the current controversy. An additional concern: the impact of the

project on the surroundings.

The city of Newport Beach promotes itself as being a leader on

water quality issues (rightfully so) and water conservation (we’re

trying). It was (note past tense) an innovator in recycling with the

“newspaper to trash truck purchase” program years ago. The city

certainly has talked the talk, and in some notable cases walked the

walk, so it is of concern that there has been little mention of

“greening” the proposed city hall. When one concerned resident

brought up the idea of solar panels before the council, the subject

was dismissed as not cost-effective, yet the council subcommittee

recommends adding to the price tag to accomodate future expansion and

“to improve the hall’s appearance.”

Greening isn’t just about environmental responsibility to current

and future Newport Beach residents. It makes economic and political

sense. Economic: Electricity costs are not going down; water is

scarce, and thus its cost is going to increase; good green design can

reduce maintenance costs. Political: One of the big advantages the

city has when pressuring other cities to reduce water pollution

(which runs downhill to Newport Bay) is that we speak from the moral

high ground. We actively invest in and pursue improved water quality.

By having a green city hall, we maintain that moral high ground.

Some examples of simple green building: waterless urinals (no

maintenance, no water) at the Orange County Sanitation District;

solar power (my electric bill is less than $100 per year, and my

water heater is off in the summer); permeable concrete, with

rainwater capture, that can eliminate site runoff; “light pipes” that

reduce the need for electric interior lighting. Many aspects of a

building may be required by code, such as double-pane, gas-filled

windows, but how those windows are placed is what will determine good

green design.

I propose that the city’s civic center be designed to attain the

highest LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

certification, which is issued by the U.S. Green Building Council

(o7www.usgbc.org)f7. This would put the city in the company of the

Inland Empire Utilities Agency in Chino; the National Resource

Defense Council in Santa Monica; Cal/EPA headquarters in Sacramento;

and the Department of the Environment for the city of Chicago. Ford,

Toyota, Sempra, Fannie Mae and numerous universities also have built

certified buildings.

Now is the time that the city must consider these ideas. If the

council members are really concerned that they can’t muster the

two-thirds majority and have to end-run the bond requirements,

perhaps they should consider proposing a project that will get the

public enthusiastic about their new city hall proposal.

DENNIS BAKER

Corona del Mar

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Dennis Baker is a member of the Newport Beach

Coastal/Bay Water Quality Citizens Advisory Committee.

Residency checks should be required

It is surprising that the residency question for Newport-Mesa

Unified School children even needs to be asked, as it seems to be

common sense to verify eligibility to attend district schools.

According to the Pilot’s reporting, Newport Coast School had 56

nonresident students in attendance. This revelation leads one to

wonder just how many nonresident kids in total are attending district

schools in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach? Five hundred? Fifteen

hundred? Three thousand? More?

We have a huge overcrowding issue, with our kids crammed into

“temporary” classroom buildings citywide. Would this problem exist if

we simply followed basic procedures and made certain that we are

providing schoolrooms only for the kids of our two cities?

Other questions beg to be answered: How and why did this lax

approach become the standard? Why do we have varying standards from

city to city and school to school in a joint school district? Does

somebody think it is a good idea to take all comers regardless of

city of residency? If residency is not being confirmed, what other

details are missing? Health exams? Inoculation records?

Confirm and verify residency of all students attending district

schools. To do anything else districtwide would be to fail the

children and families of Newport-Mesa.

ERIC BEVER

Costa Mesa

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Eric Bever is a Costa Mesa City Councilman.