COMMUNITY COMMENTARY:

After much patience, we are finally moving forward with planning for redesigning and building baseball, football, soccer, track and other field uses at TeWinkle, Davis and Costa Mesa High School.

The bidding process for the Master Planning Joint Use athletic fields has begun. The Request For Proposals was reviewed and approved by the school district, and both the city and district staff will be directly involved in the consultant interviews/evaluations. City and school district staff walked the fields on Jan. 8 with potential bidders.

Under the present schedule, proposals will be due to the city Jan. 21, consultant selection on Feb. 14 and contract award by the City Council at the March 18 meeting.

For years, Costa Mesa youth have suffered from a lack of quality fields. We are finally giving the residents the kind of recreational facilities they deserve. I’ve been pushing improvement of our sports fields for years.

Under the leadership of Gordon Bowley, the Costa Mesa Community Athletic Foundation board established a Youth Sports Council last year to bring all the user groups under one umbrella. This master planning idea and process was just one of the many successes the Sports Council has achieved this year with the help of City Manager Allan Roeder.

This effort — endorsed by the entire City Council and board of the NMUSD — will lay the foundation for the future development of multiple fields at these school locations. I’m proud to be a part of it, and proud of our work to improve and build new ball fields in Costa Mesa. This is a great example of multiple public agencies, residents, and sports groups working together for the benefit of the entire community.

As part of the important public outreach efforts, staff will meet with youth sports organizations and residents in the neighborhoods adjoining the school sites to ensure their input early and throughout the design process. The projects will be phased so as not to take all groups offline at once, and to limit impacts.

It looks as though we may have some modern fields by 2009!

A few years ago, we also unanimously approved a contract with Fairview Development Center to create additional playing fields. This project is special because not only will all the kids get new lighted practice fields, but the residents of Fairview Development Center will also have a great new place to play and exercise. It’s a win-win for all.

The efforts of Public Services Department staff have resulted in a successful transformation of the FDC site into a sports field. They eradicated the rodents and weeds, fixed the irrigation — including replacement of 150 sprinkler heads — and finely graded and hydro seeded the site. According to the public services director, staff will fine-tune the maintenance over the next several months, build a fence, install portable restrooms and make access improvements to ensure that the entire facility is prepared for public use.

Recreation Manager Jana Ransom reported that we are ahead of schedule due to the long hot spell and then recent rain. The fields are germinating, and the site should be available for use by April 2008. If you are golfing or taking a Sunday drive, check out the green fields!

These are just some of the great infrastructure improvements we are working on that will improve the quality of life for families in Costa Mesa. To stay informed about other athletic facility improvements, visit my website, at www.katrinafoley.com.

KATRINA FOLEY serves on the Costa Mesa City Council.