Parks And Recreation Commission Meeting Thursday
ANOTHER PARKS COMMISSION MEETING
The Costa Mesa Park and Recreation Commission, chaired with confidence and intensity by former Daily Pilot columnist Byron de Arakal, meets on Thursday, July 25, 2013 at 6:00 in City Council Chambers at City Hall. Read the agenda HERE.
MESA VERDE PARTNERS UNDER SCRUTINY
In addition to a few tree removal requests, this meeting has one item on the agenda that is sure to generate some interest - Costa Mesa Country Club - Performance Audit Report. You can read that staff report for the background and presumed need for such an audit, as well as the progress toward that goal, HERE. Basically, certain members of the city council are looking for ways to maximize city assets and seem dissatisfied with the current operators of the municipal facility - Mesa Verde Partners.
ANOTHER COMMITTEE
Plans are for a committee to review respondents to a recent Request for Proposals to perform an audit - they have two organizations to consider - then recommend their choice to the city council, who will make the decision on a firm to perform the audit, that may take a year or longer to perform.
DIGGING FOR HISTORICAL GEMS
Mesa Verde Partners became the concessionaire for the facility back in 1992, just about the time I actually began paying attention to municipal affairs. I vaguely recalled how rancorous that process was, so I dug back into the archives of the Daily Pilot - our local newspaper of record - for some background.
LOS ANGELES TIMES ARTICLES
For your edification, here's a list of articles written by Los Angeles Times staffers at the time. Just click on the title to be taken to the archived article.
6/15/92 - Bids to be studied on Golf Operations
6/17/92 - City Chooses Firm To Run Golf Course
8/3/92 - Council To Consider Golf Pact Tonight
8/20/92 - Concessionaire's Offer Turned Down
9/2/92 - City Preparing To Evict Concessionaire
9/5/92 - City Sues Former Concession Operator
9/24/92 - Golf Concessionaire Accepts Settlement
2/4/93 - Seniors to Keep Golf Discounts
5/29/97 - Model Trains Derail Golf Course Plans
DEFILING FAIRVIEW PARK?
You may notice the last item I listed jumps to 1997. It's written by current Daily Pilot Editor, John Canalis, and covers Mesa Verde Partners attempt to use a big chunk of Fairview Park for yet another golf course. Considering that the use of Fairview Park is being evaluated currently, and that there are at least a couple members of the committee formed to do that evaluation who would apparently love to see most of the park paved over for softball, baseball, football, soccer and any number of other less-than-passive uses, I thought dredging up Canalis' piece was timely.
ANXIOUS MOMENTS...
I'm thinking that the folks at Mesa Verde Partners are probably getting just a little nervous about now. The last concessionaire had the job for about 20 years and had to be sued to vacate. Mesa Verde Partners has run the show for just over that time... We'll see how this shakes out downstream.
JUST WONDERING...
I find myself wondering whether anybody on the City Council has buddies in, or would like to be in, the golf course management business? Seems like a good question...
The Costa Mesa Park and Recreation Commission, chaired with confidence and intensity by former Daily Pilot columnist Byron de Arakal, meets on Thursday, July 25, 2013 at 6:00 in City Council Chambers at City Hall. Read the agenda HERE.MESA VERDE PARTNERS UNDER SCRUTINY
In addition to a few tree removal requests, this meeting has one item on the agenda that is sure to generate some interest - Costa Mesa Country Club - Performance Audit Report. You can read that staff report for the background and presumed need for such an audit, as well as the progress toward that goal, HERE. Basically, certain members of the city council are looking for ways to maximize city assets and seem dissatisfied with the current operators of the municipal facility - Mesa Verde Partners.ANOTHER COMMITTEE
Plans are for a committee to review respondents to a recent Request for Proposals to perform an audit - they have two organizations to consider - then recommend their choice to the city council, who will make the decision on a firm to perform the audit, that may take a year or longer to perform.DIGGING FOR HISTORICAL GEMS
Mesa Verde Partners became the concessionaire for the facility back in 1992, just about the time I actually began paying attention to municipal affairs. I vaguely recalled how rancorous that process was, so I dug back into the archives of the Daily Pilot - our local newspaper of record - for some background.LOS ANGELES TIMES ARTICLES
6/15/92 - Bids to be studied on Golf Operations
6/17/92 - City Chooses Firm To Run Golf Course
8/3/92 - Council To Consider Golf Pact Tonight
8/20/92 - Concessionaire's Offer Turned Down
9/2/92 - City Preparing To Evict Concessionaire
9/5/92 - City Sues Former Concession Operator
9/24/92 - Golf Concessionaire Accepts Settlement
2/4/93 - Seniors to Keep Golf Discounts
5/29/97 - Model Trains Derail Golf Course Plans
DEFILING FAIRVIEW PARK?
You may notice the last item I listed jumps to 1997. It's written by current Daily Pilot Editor, John Canalis, and covers Mesa Verde Partners attempt to use a big chunk of Fairview Park for yet another golf course. Considering that the use of Fairview Park is being evaluated currently, and that there are at least a couple members of the committee formed to do that evaluation who would apparently love to see most of the park paved over for softball, baseball, football, soccer and any number of other less-than-passive uses, I thought dredging up Canalis' piece was timely.ANXIOUS MOMENTS...
I'm thinking that the folks at Mesa Verde Partners are probably getting just a little nervous about now. The last concessionaire had the job for about 20 years and had to be sued to vacate. Mesa Verde Partners has run the show for just over that time... We'll see how this shakes out downstream. JUST WONDERING...
I find myself wondering whether anybody on the City Council has buddies in, or would like to be in, the golf course management business? Seems like a good question...Labels: Byron de Arakal, Costa Mesa Country Club, John Canalis, Mesa Verde Partners, Parks and Recreation Commission
posted by The Pot Stirrer at 7/22/2013 02:27:00 PM
7 Comments:
Say it ain't so!
...nothing is a coincidence.
having had moved to cm from fountain valley, itd be a shame to see another beloved park be stripped of its usuable space for golf course
I remember a time when i could hear model airplanes buzzing overhead in fountain valley, but now its golf course. Once its gone you dont get it back :(
I think the parks commission attempt to go to MSP on a busy holiday weekend. After trying to hunt down parking and seeing the overcrowded mess it is (less than half is public park now) with picnic litter strewn everywhere maybe theyll realize how great we have it.
We have two golf courses in Costa Mesa, and one just up the road. There are some in FV and HB as well. Enough is enough. These special interest groups are becoming a pain in the butt.
Maybe they can explain the phantom trail that isn't on the Master Plan that suddenly appeared on the north side of Parsons Field.
Riggy recently presented the Mayor's "Man Crush" Award (April '13) to his new BFF Walter Gaynor. He's the man that developed Riggy's beloved Mesa Verde housing tract and adjoining Mesa Verde Country Club.
CMCC is surrounded by the State's 752 acre Fairview Developmental Center (FDC) which no longer needs all those creepy old buildings for their 347 "aging" residents.
So, doesn't it make "cents" that this enormous parcel is the Holy Grail of "premium locations" for another Mesa Verde semi-custom home tract that surrounds the Los Lagos & Mesa Linda Municipal Golf Courses? Will Riggy & Gaynor collaborate for his final swan song?
Also, currently the State is re-developing an 11 acre site on the FDC property into low income housing which still needs a General Plan Amendment for re-zoning to "residential use" from institutional/recreational use. But more importantly, the City needs "the credit" for low-income development for the upcoming (Oct 13') Housing Element. So this is a crucial amendment change that literally paves the way for all future FDC developments.
And, why the CMCC Operator is vital to the two developers on the Council. Currently, the municipal course isn't quite "upscale" enough for their higher-end home developer pals/loyal campaign donors.
CMCC has 2 course with in itself. Take the Mesa Linda course and reconfigure it into a 9 hole course. Leave Los Logos course as is. Then use the removed 9 holes of Mesa Linda to build your wanted LIGHTED sports complex.
You can leave Fairview Park alone then.
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