A shared vision for lighting city’s fields

In a recent letter bemoaning the plan to tear up Mesa Linda Golf Course for conversion to athletic fields proposed by Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor and parks and recreation commission Chairwoman Wendy Leece, I concluded that Costa Mesa needed a plan, which it doesn’t have, to address the problem. I went on to say that I had a lot of ideas about how to go about it, but that was a letter for another day.

Well, today’s the day. Here’s a framework with which to begin that planning.

In the City Council budget deliberations last week, the need for fields ? especially lighted fields ? got much attention. Parks and recreation commissioner Byron de Arakal suggested reopening the parks and recreation master plan as a means to develop more specifics on this issue. That is a good way to start the process and was well received by council. In so doing, the commission can address how many fields are needed, for what uses (including youth and adult), and in what time frame.

Given that starting point, previously identified potential sites and potential new sites, including city-owned land, need to be loosely prioritized. A methodology for prioritizing these candidate sites could assess their availability in a range from “likely” to “possible” to “uncertain but worth the effort.”

The city recreation staff is currently evaluating new technology for temporary lighting solutions, which have the potential to allay the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s prohibition on temporary lighting on school property. The parks and recreation commission will soon decide which city and school district sites are suitable for temporary lights. This action, together with staff planned demonstrations of new technology lighting, should pave the way to reopen discussions of temporary lights with the school district ? under the parameters of the joint-use agreement ? at locations such as Davis and Killybrooke elementary schools, and at Costa Mesa and Estancia high schools. City-owned or leased temporary lighting candidate sites include the Farm Sports Complex and the pending leased space at Fairview Developmental Center. All of these are “likely” short-term solutions.

“Possible” sites include the anticipated stadium at Estancia High, to be developed under Measure F funding; the county-owned flood control site on South Bristol; and the often mentioned Air National Guard site adjacent to TeWinkle Park.

Another “possible” location, as has recently been proposed by parks and recreation commissioner Bob Graham and others, is to re-look at Fairview Park. While this is admittedly a politically and environmentally sensitive idea, to say the least, if zany ideas like tearing up the Mesa Linda Golf Course can see the light of day, certainly this option deserves to be on the table. Ten acres of Fairview Park is 5% of the park size. Maybe there’s a place where it can work.

Other land possibilities to consider, which may be “uncertain but worth the effort” include, in no particular order, the city’s application to annex the Banning Ranch; school district idle school sites such as Balearic, Parsons and Harper; and the possible availability of Coastline Community College and fairgrounds property, among others.

If and when potential sites are evaluated and warrant going after, strategies need to be developed, as appropriate, to target near-term opportunities; to estimate costs and funding options; lobby for support of county and state elected officials; and identify other strategies such as possible land-swap options.

In summary, by comparing what we need and when we need it with a structured list of opportunities, this framework can be a starting point for a comprehensive, thoughtful, collaborative action plan (dare I call it a strategic plan?) for the near-term and long-term acquisition or enhancement of athletic fields in Costa Mesa.