Sounding Off:

You may have read about the tempest in a teapot controversy about renting out the Downtown Community Center to an out-of-town group that will displace Costa Mesa residents.

Steve Smith over at the almost-daily Daily Pilot says the Parks and Recreation Commission should look at the facts when deciding whether to boot out residents and replace them with basketball players from Santa Ana (“Recent denial could be costly,” June 2).

I agree. In fact, that’s what I asked the Parks and Recreation Commission to do.

The staff report, a single page of paper typed on both sides, gives few facts upon which an informed decision could be made. It focuses primarily on the amount of money the city can make by booting out presumed residents from a facility that they own and pay for with their taxes, but is silent on the fact that the group that will replace Costa Mesa residents is from a different city.

The staff report doesn’t state how many players are in the group, and the commission thus couldn’t determine the impact and wear and tear on the facility and the surrounding uses. Will there be 50 players? A hundred? Two hundred? There are no facts.

There is nothing in writing about where the group is now playing and there are no letters of recommendation from their present landlord.

Smith says the commission should look at the facts, but he offers no facts. At best, this is a lazy column written by someone who won’t get out of his chair to find some facts. Would Smith rent out a room in his home to someone based on the facts given to the commission? How about an apartment he might own? Enough facts for him? How about a retail store? Enough facts to make a decision?

It also has to be mentioned that above all of this is a policy matter that may have to be decided by the City Council: Should residents be displaced in their community center, that their taxes pay for, by residents of other cities? And, if these residents of other cities cause excessive wear and tear on the facilities, who pays for the wear and tear?

So, this is our challenge to Smith: What are the facts? What are the details? Tell us the facts about the prospective tenant so that the commission and residents (who own the center) can make an informed and intelligent decision.

Show us a rental application form with the information that is normally gathered by any responsible landlord. The residents own this facility, and they have a right to know what is being proposed so they can help in making a decision.

M.H. MILLARD lives in Costa Mesa.