Letters to the Editor: Development in Mesa North is great but the area needs parkland, more walkable areas

In Costa Mesa, we locals treasure our traditional Eastside and Westside neighborhoods. Fortunately, we have the 405, creating a separation which allows two separate worlds to co-exist — our traditional neighborhoods to the south and the area north of the 405 — one of the most job-rich places in the county.

North Costa Mesa has amenities such as SOCO, South Coast Plaza, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the Santa Ana River trail and the future food hall at the Press.

Two critically missing elements in North Costa Mesa are housing and maybe a park or two. I can think of no better place to put more compact and walkable housing in Costa Mesa than north of the 405.

Our county “maintained” over the decades by growing out. We created new suburbs that spread. Folks had to drive everywhere. Not possible anymore. Not healthy either.

Looking for housing in Orange County to create a more pedestrian-oriented, “car-light” lifestyle is essential to our future. For Costa Mesa, that’s north of the 405. Mama Earth is counting on us.

Flo Martin

Costa Mesa

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Foley and Petrie-Norris make a good combo

I have read “Mayor Katrina Foley and new council took the lead on addressing homelessness in Costa Mesa” (July 2). Mayor Katrina Foley’s leadership in opening a homeless shelter and restoring the character of our neighborhoods and 19th street businesses is exactly the kind of “must do” leadership we need in Sacramento. On April 5, the city opened a 50-bed temporary bridge shelter located at Lighthouse Church of the Nazarene on Anaheim Avenue.

In addition, Foley helped obtain private donations and partnerships with other agencies to fund some of the construction. She also wrote to our current state senator and even traveled to Sacramento to try to secure funding to help pay for the costs of the shelter.

Our current state senator didn’t deliver. In fact, he voted no on the state budget so he failed to obtain any funding whatsoever for our district. By contrast, our new assemblywoman, Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Laguna Beach), secured $1 million to offset the city’s funding for park and playground improvements at Lions Park, another $1 million for the O.C. Housing Trust to help fund permanent supportive housing and another $2.9 million for homeless veterans housing that will be available in the district through the United Way.

Orange County residents send a lot in property and sales taxes to Sacramento. We need Foley as our state senator because she can partner with our new assemblywoman and bring some of those dollars back home to support our local city budgets, especially for funding projects that address regional concerns like homelessness.

Margaret Mooney

Costa Mesa

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Oppose development on Beach and Ellis

A project has been proposed on Ellis Avenue and Beach Boulevard that has negative impacts on the surrounding area. The Planning Commission dutifully reviewed the project and denied it on a 6-1 vote. Rather than accept this solidly correct decision, the out-of-area applicant has appealed the project to the City Council. There is currently a strong sentiment in our city against increased density and shoehorning poorly planned projects into areas with grievous negative impacts to the surrounding community.

Too many mistakes have been made in the past, especially along the Beach/Edinger corridors to even countenance adding another to the list. It is time local government listens to its citizens and resolutely denies projects that simply put profits over people.

Tim Geddes

Huntington Beach

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