Millions may be spent on safety upgrade

Through a strange convergence of circumstances, residents of the senior apartment complex Bethel Towers in Costa Mesa found themselves well prepared for a fire that broke out March 1 and sent two people to the hospital.

They’d had fire safety classes in September, and half a dozen of the residents took more extensive emergency training. And before anyone knew there would be a fire, Costa Mesa officials were talking about how to make the aging towers safer by installing a sprinkler system and other fire prevention and warning systems.

As soon as May or June, the Costa Mesa City Council will discuss a $2-million to $4-million plan to upgrade fire safety at Bethel Towers, which were built in 1966 — before sprinklers were required.

If the council pursues the project, the city would seek grant money and ask the Assembly of God Church, which owns the building, to chip in.

The bulk of the funding likely would come from a federal loan that could be repaid though Community Development Block Grant funds, which the city receives every year and gives out to benefit low- to moderate-income residents.

Bethel Towers offers 270 affordable housing units for seniors.

The sprinkler project has been under discussion for several years, and someone in the community recently brought it up again, Costa Mesa Assistant City Manager Thomas Hatch said, adding, “It had been in the works for many months before that fire.”

At a March 13 study session, City Council members asked to put money in the 2007-08 budget for more detailed fire safety plans, and community groups may want to help with interim safety measures such as fire extinguishers for each apartment, Hatch said.

The Costa Mesa Community Foundation, a nonprofit group that gives grants and scholarships to benefit city residents, on Tuesday will talk about making a contribution to help with the fire extinguishers. Cindy Brenneman, who chairs the foundation’s board, said one of the group’s missions is to improve public safety.

“If we can’t take care of our elderly community and our youth, what does that say about us as a community?” she said. “This is something that we can be proactive about.”