Banning Ranch Crisis Point

COASTAL COMMISSION VOTES ON OCTOBER 7TH
For those who have been following the Banning Ranch drama, it's possible it might be soon over depending on how the California Coastal Commission votes at their meeting next Wednesday, October 7, 2015 in Long Beach.

STAFF RECOMMENDS DENIAL OF THE PROJECT, BUT...
The Banning Ranch Conservancy, HERE,  has been leading the charge against the proposed development on that site, which includes 1375 homes, a shopping venue and a hotel among other things, for years.  The Coastal Commission meeting might mark the most significant milestone in the history of this project.  You can read the text of the 316 page Coastal Commission Staff Report HERE.  Don't let the size of the document put you off.  The summary contained in the first five pages should be enough.  The staff is recommending denial of the project, but the commission is NOT obligated to follow their recommendation.  A large public presence at the meeting is important to provide an exclamation point to this process.

BUSES TO THE MEETING
To provide that public presence at the meeting the Banning Ranch Conservancy is sponsoring buses to the meeting at the Long Beach Convention Center, Seaside Ballroom, in Long Beach, which begins at 9:00 a.m.  You can also reserve a seat on one of the buses HERE.  Additionally, they also have provided a link to a petition opposing the project that can be filled out and automatically sent to the Coastal Commission, HERE.

ORGANIZATIONAL/INFORMATIONAL MEETING TOMORROW
They are holding an organizational meeting tomorrow night, September 30, 2015 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Mesa Verde United Methodist Church, 1701 Baker Street.  See the map here.  Click on it to enlarge it.  Everyone interested in this project is invited to attend to get more information.

IMPACT ON COSTA MESA
You may recall that this project will generate an estimated 15,000 car trips each day, the vast majority of which will funnel onto Costa Mesa streets and most will end up at the tip of the funnel - the corner of 19th Street and Newport Boulevard, which is already one of the busiest streets in our city.

INSUFFICIENT MITIGATION
The developers, Newport Banning Ranch, agreed to pay the city around $4 million to mitigate the traffic impact, but those dollars will barely pay for a study, much less mitigate the traffic.  Add that traffic to the new cars being generated by recently approved Costa Mesa projects and you'll understand what a nightmare driving on the Westside AND the Eastside of Costa Mesa will become if this project is approved and built.

GET INFORMATION AND ACT...
So, go to the Banning Ranch Conservancy website, linked above, and become familiar with the issue.  Attend their meeting tomorrow and, if you're so moved, join them in Long Beach to guarantee the California Coastal Commission will get a clear idea of the opposition to this plan.