Costa Mesa councilman withdraws support for city’s proposal to purchase OC Fairgrounds

Costa Mesa Councilman Eric Bever has backed away from supporting the city’s $96 million proposal to purchase the Orange County Fairgrounds from the state.

In an open letter to the City Council dated Friday, Bever said he was pulling out of the proposal – although he had signed off on it along with the four other council members – because of concerns about whether the city could meet a new 30-day deadline from the state to find a buying partner.

“I don’t support the process as it currently exits,” Bever said in an interview with the Daily Pilot. “The state is pushing such a short time frame, it’s making it very difficult for us.”

On Wednesday, Costa Mesa officials hand-delivered the city’s proposal to the Governor’s office.

The state placed the 150-acre fairgrounds on sale in an effort to shore up funds and plug a hole in the budget deficit. It has estimated bringing in between $96 million to $180 million from the sale.

“This city rarely accomplishes anything of any complexity in such a short timeframe, and there is good reason for that,” Bever said in his letter.

“We are responsible for acting in the best interest of the 115,000 Costa Mesans who have entrusted us with their city’s future, and as such, we must be diligent and take the necessary time to do the job right,” the letter continued. ”This is a 96 million dollar deal we are considering, not whether or not to remove a parkway tree.”