Parks & Rec. Commission Kicks The Can...

MADE THE RIGHT DECISION
Thursday night the Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation Commission spent a lot of time hearing from the staff and ten members of the public on the issue of new entryways to the southern end of Fairview Park, HERE, before finally deciding to ask the staff to return to their August 22nd meeting with more information before taking a vote on the major issues.

PARKING MAY VIOLATE MASTER PLAN
The biggest issue, as articulated by Chairman Byron de Arakal, is the fact that the parking area planned at the end of Pacific Avenue shows more than 40 parking spaces but the approved Fairview Park Master Plan only provides for ten at that site.  He was unwilling to move the item forward until that discrepancy is resolved, so he asked the staff to consult with the Planning Department and Legal and bring back the result of that consultation.  He implied that, if the proposed plan violates the master plan, he may ask to revise the master plan.

RESTROOM, PARKING, TRAFFIC
Speakers were concerned about there not being a restroom at that location, citing the need because of the proposed tot lot adjacent to the parking area.  They were also concerned about traffic on Pacific, which has insufficient sidewalks for the current traffic, much less the anticipated increase due to the additional parking.  A few members of the public were concerned that the received notice late in the process, and that many of their neighbors may have just received it in their mail today.

ANOTHER LOOK NEXT MONTH
In addition to the issue of inconsistency with the Master Plan, the motion passed unanimously by the commission asked that both Site Plan A and Site Plan B be brought back with a plant palette, photos of proposed plants and hardscape and lighting specifications.  de Arakal also asked for broader notification of the issue, and more time between the notification and the meeting, if it is possible within City policy to do so.

COMMISSION LEANING TOWARD THE PLAN
It was clear that several members of the commission favored the plan as shown, so neighbors and others with opposing views should be prepared to make their pitches - again - next month.

COUNTRY CLUB PERFORMANCE AUDIT
In other actions, the commission managed two tree removal requests and heard the issue - briefly - that involved the proposal for a performance audit for the Costa Mesa Country Club.  According to Recreation Manager, the need for such an audit has existed for several years and the City Council requested this one to evaluate whether the city-owned facility is performing to contemporary standards and that it is serving the community well.  One speaker expressed concern that residents and out-of-town visitors alike pay the same greens fees, feeling that outsiders should pay more.  The City Council will select a vendor soon.

WORKING ON A "VOLCOM" SOLUTION

During his comments at the end of the meeting de Arakal told the commission he had been working closely with CEO Tom Hatch, Lt. Mark Manley of the CMPD and others to come up with a plan to make the Volcom Skate Park a safe place for all once again.  He expects there may be plans ready to put forward by their October meeting.  Apparently this issue is not simply one of citing and/or arresting violators of the safety equipment requirement and using the park when it is supposed to be closed.  At least the ball is rolling to find a solution to protect young skaters and to permit Park Rangers to do their jobs without being attacked.

Volcom Skate Park Safety

TROUBLE AT THE SKATE PARK

Last night the Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation Commission met for a regularly-scheduled meeting at City Hall and, although several items were on the agenda, this entry is going to focus on only one - the recent public safety issues at the Volcom Skatepark of Costa Mesa.

DISTRESSING REPORT

Costa Mesa Police Department Lieutenant Mark Manley provided an informative, and unsettling, report to the commission about recent events at the skatepark.  The crux of the problem seems to be that adult skaters ignore the safety rules that require a helmet plus elbow and kneepads and are skating haphazardly, causing safety problems for younger skaters with whom they share the facility.

AUDIO TAPES SHOW PROBLEM

Chairman Byron de Arakal pressed Manley for details of the the events, which apparently included the physical assaults on Park Rangers and on officers called to back them up during enforcement operations.  Manley provided perspective via an audio tape of one encounter in which a late-30's skater - hiding behind a tree - explained to Manley (in civilian clothes) why he was hiding and the "code" that was used by skaters so they could scatter when police arrived.  Officer Allen Rieckhof, who patrols that area of the city during the day, played another tape of a very recent profanity-laced encounter with a skater who had been cited and warned previously who ended up being arrested.

SOME STATISTICS
During his presentation Manley provided some statistics for police/park ranger activites at the skate park.

Action                             2011               2012             2013 (thru 6/25)
Citations issues                19                   31                     69
Ave. Age                         22.66              22.16               19.26
Costa Mesa Residents?   36%                40%                 29%
Non-CM Residents?        63%                 60%                71%
Arrests Made                   0                       2                     3 (4 counting Rieckhof's arrest)

Offences ranged from failure to use proper equipment to taking a swing at officers.

DISRESPECT AND DOG POOP

As an example of the prevailing attitude in the park now, Manley reported that, following a routine patrol of the park recently, one of the rangers found dog poop placed in the door handle of the police cruiser.

SCATTERING LIKE QUAIL
According to reports, it is not unusual to see 20 or more skaters run from the park - out the exit or over the 6 foot high fence - and scatter into the Mesa del Mar neighborhood when officers approach.

CULTURAL CONFRONTATIONS
Manley told the commissioners that it's his goal to have the rangers and police staff be ambassadors to help with the lawful administration of the park, but that there is a cultural issue in play and, with the advent of cell phone video, there seems to be an intent to provoke confrontation to post on social media sites.

WHY DECLINING CALLS FOR SERVICE?

Chairman de Arakal read from a report he had that described a significant decline in calls for service and citations issued since 2008 and asked Manley about it.  His reply was that, with reduced resources today other calls take priority.  He told de Arakal that he has 4 park rangers and 2 are dedicated to enforcement actions at Lions Park.  The remaining two are left to cover the other 29 parks in the city, including the Volcom Skate Park.  Rangers apparently make two passes at the skate park each day on average.

THE CHAIRMAN IS TICKED-OFF!

de Arakal had a real head of steam up on this issue.  He's received many calls from residents about the safety aspects of the park recently.  Older, much more aggressive, skaters make it very difficult for young skaters to navigate around the various elements of the park safely.  Apparently there are many repeat offenders observed by rangers and officers.  He told us he had visited the skate park a couple times recently and described it as "Probably what the Old West looked like a hundred years ago.  It's just a free-for-all."  He went on to say, "The bottom line for me is the law. It's pretty clear that if Costa Mesa is going to run a skate park, under the Health and Safety Code, we have to require that everybody wear a helmet and elbow and knee pads."

"WE'RE GONNA FIX THIS!"
He said that he's made a commitment that "we're going to fix this", and that it is probably going to take consultation with senior city officials (he referred to the 5th floor) and the police department to create a strategy to resolve the issue.  He mentioned full time staffing, a fee to use the park as some options.  He hoped to find some immediate relief for the police department and bring solutions back to the broader issue to the commission in July or August for consideration and presentation to the City Council shortly thereafter.

AN EXAMPLE OF THE PROBLEM

To give you an idea of what this is all about, HERE is a YouTube video clip of one confrontation at the Volcom Skate Park that presents a disturbing, but actual, encounter that the park rangers had to deal with.  WARNING:  Bad language is used in this tape.

WATCH THE MEETING FOR YOURSELVES
I hope you'll watch the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, either on streaming video when it is finally available, or on the taped recording, to get the real flavor of what our officers face every day on this issue.  It's a problem that needs to be solved, fast.  NOTE:  The streaming video clip of the meeting is now available HERE.

REPORT FROM THE TWILIGHT ZONE

SURREAL DELIBERATIONS
Last night's Costa Mesa City Council meeting may have been the most surreal event I've observed in nearly a decade of paying attention to what goes on in our city. This meeting, which dragged on past midnight and actually ended at 1:10 this morning, demonstrated the wisdom of the council policy to not try to conduct city business past midnight.

BAD DECISION
Mayor Mansoor, who looked like he was well off his game all night, made the decision to move forward with one of the most contentious issues on the agenda - the debate of whether or not to re-open the Fairview Park Master Plan to consider placement of a dog park and/or skate park within it's boundaries - at midnight! Dozens of speakers stood to address the issue and very few spoke in favor of such a move. Most pleaded with the council to retain Fairview Park in it's "natural" state, citing potential damage to fragile habitat and danger for the indigenous critters that call it home. This was after the council decided earlier to approve placement of a temporary building near the model trains to house a donated train exhibit and to move forward with plans to seek grants to build a larger building that is included in the current master plan.

THANKS, BUT NO THANKS - WOOF!
One of the truly strange parts of the Fairview Park debate was the fact that several dog lovers, including a couple officials from the Costa Mesa Bark Park Foundation that oversees the operation of the TeWinkle Park facility, stood and told the council that the site proposed by staff for a dog park at Fairview Park was not acceptable. They encouraged the council to look for a different venue. I can't remember when an advocacy group rejected an opportunity for a facility before. It was actually kind of funny when former mayor Sandra Genis - a dog lover herself - stood at the podium and warned the council about the inappropriateness of the proposed site, citing the potential danger from errant golf balls from the adjacent golf course. I know she was serious, but I couldn't help but chuckle.

MARATHON MISFIRE
Earlier, the subject of a skate park at Lion's Park took three hours to debate. The staff had provided the council with five different sites within the boundaries of Lion's Park, including the incendiary suggestion to place it on the infield of the baseball diamond at Davis Field. At the end, none of the sites presented - which represented virtually every inch of open space available at the park and then some - were found to be acceptable. The result, much to the chagrin of the men on the dais, was that the ladies on the council voted to not place a skate park at Lion's Park. They, instead, directed staff to return soon with an analysis of each of the other parks throughout the city with an eye on possibly placing small skate venues in several of them to serve the neighborhood skaters. They also directed staff to continue to seek opportunities to purchase land in the city for another larger skate park. I imagine there's a certain diminutive bar owner who is not happy this morning.

DUMB IDEA DUMPED
The issue of the possibility of closing Park Avenue north of 18th Street, a strange idea proposed by Linda Dixon, was combined for discussion with the skate park at Lion's Park. It was clear from early debate that no one was interested in closing the street - rightfully so. That idea was rejected along with the skate park.

TANTRUM TIME
In a night of strange events, the most bizarre was the behavior of Mayor Pro Tem Eric Bever when, at the end of the debate about Lion's Park as a possible site for a skate park - even before the vote was taken - he blew a gasket. He petulantly told his peers on the dais that he was "ashamed to be up there with them" and that they should let him know the next time they planned to discuss a skate park because he would just stay home. I found myself wanting to make him go stand in a corner for his infantile outburst. That display of childishness occurred just before midnight, reinforcing the wisdom of closing the meetings before the calendar flips over.

CURIOUS NO-SHOW
Curiously, a man who has been beyond just merely vocal on the subject of the preservation of Fairview Park and not placing a skate park at Lion's Park - he posted at least 8 blog entries on his "little newsletter" in the past few weeks, posted innumerable comments of the various Daily Pilot blogs under several of his pen names and his own, too, and had a commentary published in the Daily Pilot on the subject yesterday - failed to speak on these issues last night. In fact, I don't know if he was in attendance or not, which is also very strange, since he almost never misses a meeting in this city. Perhaps he felt his "direction" to the council had been clearly stated and his ideas were a slam dunk - which it turns out they were. Costa Mesa politics is a strange business.

SHE'S BAAACK!
It was good to see Katrina Foley back in the saddle after her recent convalescence from cancer surgery, about which she spoke briefly at the beginning of the meeting. She brings focus to the debate of most issues. Perhaps that's why our young jailer/mayor looked like he was dealing with a bad toothache all night.

NO TREE UN-HUGGED IN FAIRVIEW PARK
So, every tree hugger in our town can breathe a little easier today because the insects, birds and other critters in Fairview Park have been given a reprieve. And, the skateboarders in our city - who waited a generation for the first skate park - will have to wait a little longer to see just how the City Council will resolve their frustrations and pent-up demand for more skate facilities in our city. Based on some of the testimony against a skate facility in Fairview Park and the photos presented by some speakers, I guess those little "terrorists" will just have to continue damming up the flood control channel to make a skate venue and using every wall, curb and raised planter in the city as a grind rail while they wait.

AIR NATIONAL GUARD SITE POSSIBILITIES
On the brighter side, the council did direct staff to aggressively pursue the possible acquisition of the recently abandoned Air National Guard site behind TeWinkle Park. That process is in it's early stages, but could provide some interesting opportunities for future open space/recreational facilities. Actually, that site has lots of possibilities. Things that immediately come to mind include another much needed high rise senior living facility similar to Bethel Towers on the Westside, more athletic fields like The Farm Sports Complex or maybe just acquire the space, then swap it with another land owner for a site or sites elsewhere in the city where recreational venues are in short supply. Heck, maybe one of those "nasty, polluting businesses" on the Westside Bluffs so reviled by the "improvers" in our city would want to swap - that could be fun.

Life is never dull in Costa Mesa.

Considering Parks - Fairview, Skate and Dog

COUNCIL CONSIDERATION
Tomorrow, November 6, 2007 (contrary to a date shown on another local blog) the Costa Mesa City Council will consider several issues that may determine the configuration of Fairview Park in the future.

FAIRVIEW PARK FUTURE
Fairview Park has been described by many local officials and activists as Costa Mesa's "Crown Jewel". As you can see in the photo above, at more than 200 acres, it is the largest open space in our city and the only really "natural" park. Many residents want it to remain as it is - more or less natural and a place where one might go to contemplate wildlife or - one's navel - depending on how you are inclined. Presently, you can ride a choo-choo one weekend each month, fly model airplanes or kites or just meander around through the weeds (native plants) and enjoy the fresh air wafting up the Santa Ana River. What you cannot do is break a sweat.

STRANGE SCHEDULING
On the agenda tomorrow night, in a curious bit of scheduling, are four items the council will include in it's deliberation. The first on the schedule, Old Business #1, is the consideration of placement of a temporary 2,000 square foot building on the east side of Placentia Avenue, near the model trains. Theoretically, and based on the staff report, this will temporarily house an extremely valuable model train exhibit that may be, at least temporarily, donated to the park.

PREMATURE SPENDING?
Old Business #2 is the consideration of awarding nearly $70,000 for the conceptual design for a skate park at Lion's Park. I'm trying to figure out why we would spend that kind of money before a decision has been made to consider only Lion's Park as the preferred venue.

PREMATURE STREET CLOSING?
Old Business #3 addresses the request by Council Member Linda Dixon to consider the closure of Park Avenue north of 18th Street - adjacent to Lion's Park - to facilitate use of Lion's Park for a skate park. Quite honestly, this is a pretty hare-brained scheme, one that would create inconveniences and safety issues since the fire station location is included in the proposed closure area.

NEW FAIRVIEW PARK ENHANCEMENTS
New Business #2 is the consideration of opening the Fairview Park Master Plan for consideration of inclusion of a skate park and/or dog park within it's boundaries. I've read the staff reports on this issue and it certainly seems reasonable to consider a skate park and a dog park on the east side of Placentia.

CART BEFORE THE HORSE
It seems to me that we've got the cart before the horse, schedule-wise. I hope the council will consider the New Business item first and resolve that question. If they decide not to re-open the Fairview Park Master Plan to consider placing a skate park and/or dog park then the other items mentioned above should be given serious consideration. If they do decide to re-open the Master Plan, then Old Business #2 and #3 are premature. There's no reason to spend $70,000 for a conceptual design if the skate park may not end up at Lion's Park. The same applies to the consideration of closing Park Avenue.

BIG TURNOUT EXPECTED
I fully expect there will be a large turnout for this particular meeting. There will be many views expressed, and much wailing and gnashing of teeth about destroying Fairview Park with cement and buildings. Hogwash!

RECREATIONAL PRIORITIES
Fairview Park is huge, with plenty of natural areas to enjoy on the west side of Placentia Avenue. The east side already has the model trains and the inclusion of other more active entities would certainly seem to be appropriate. One wag has gone so far as to recommend closing Placentia Avenue, a pipe dream which certainly doesn't make any of the local commuters happy.

SPACE FOR ALL
Fairview Park is a unique and wonderful resource for our city. However, it certainly doesn't serve enough residents in it's current configuration. I've studied the staff reports and think there is plenty of space for a skate park as envisioned, plus a new dog park and the model train building on the east side of Placentia.

VOICE YOUR OPINIONS
I encourage those of you who have strong feelings one way or the other to attend the council meeting and voice your opinion. The rest of us may be watching on Channel 24 - the proceedings begin at 6 p.m.

Appeal, Stats, Fluoride, Tradition & More

UNAPPEALING APPEAL PENDING
Ah, the joy never stops. Today, both the Orange County Register and the Daily Pilot had articles regarding the appeal filed by the City of Costa Mesa in the case of the dismissed charges on Benito Acosta.

According to the Register report, Costa Mesa City Attorney Kim Barlow doesn't expect a ruling by the three-judge panel until next week. The Daily Pilot article quotes Acosta's attorney as stating the appeal "meritless". I guess we'll find out some time next week. In the meantime, that old meter is spinnin' as legal charges continue to rack up on this case.

INTERESTING IMMIGRATION STATISTICS
In a kind of related issue, the Orange County Register Immigration Blog provided us with a brief story and link to a very interesting bit of information provided by something called the Migration Information Source. For those of you interested in such things, I've linked to it here.

FLUORIDATION - OH, NO!
Another issue causing angst in our little neck of the woods these days is the fluoridation of our water supply, which some folks apparently think is tantamount to poisoning all of us. The debate on the Daily Pilot blog has been, er, spirited - to say the least. You can read the relevant articles and their comment threads in the Daily Pilot. There are four separate articles for your consideration here, here, here and here.

FAIRVIEW PARK VS. TRADITION
Also, for us Costa Mesans, the fate of Fairview Park continues to raise the collective blood pressure around town. Mike Scheafer, former councilman, former Parks and Recreation Commissioner and active member of the Lion's Club among many others, wrote to the Daily Pilot suggesting the skate park being proposed for Lion's Park be shifted to Fairview Park because it would displace the Lion's Club-sponsored Fish Fry - a six decade tradition in Costa Mesa. As I type this more than 100 comments have been posted on that article. You can read it here.

COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THE SKATE PARK NEXT WEEK
The issue of Fairview Park and the skate park are apparently going to be on the City Council agenda for next Tuesday evening. I suspect folks representing many views will appear to present their case.

PLENTY OF ROOM
After having driven past Fairview Park a couple of times this week, it seems to me that there is plenty of room on the eastside of Placentia, near the model trains that get used one weekend a month, for the city's second skate park and the parking and restrooms necessary for such a facility. Placement at that location certainly would not interfere with the more passive uses on the west side of Placentia - reachable by the big, ugly bridge.

NOT-SO HIDDEN AGENDA
There are those in our town who devote a lot of energy and blog inches trying to convince us that Fairview Park should remain "pristine" - not a word I associate with that park. Those folks apparently think that any active uses in the park will detract from their plan to bulldoze what they refer to as "slums" - apartments that are occupied by Latinos - to make space for more parks. How pathetic and transparent!

POCKET SKATE PARKS?
Nowhere in the discussion did I see mention of the possibility of utilizing small pieces of several neighborhood parks to place small, single skate elements so the younger children could practice their skills close to home. A simple small bowl or pad with a grind rail would only take up 400 -500 square feet in parks that are infrequently used now.

With only a couple of council meetings left this year, it's going to be very interesting to see how these issues shake out.

New Skate Park? Not Quite Yet

ICE IN HADES?
Quick! Somebody check to see if hell has frozen over! It must have, because at the Costa Mesa City Council meeting last night local Habitat for Humanity honcho Mark Korando and an activist who very much resembles my theoretical character, Your Neighbor, agreed that Lions Park is not the best site for a new skate park. Korando expressed astonishment that he and the activist agreed on something. Politics does, indeed, make for strange bedfellows.

DIXON HITS THE PAUSE BUTTON
The short version of the discussion of the proposal to fund, to the tune of nearly $80,000, preliminary plans for a skate park up to 25,000 square feet at Lions Park is that it was spirited. The upshot was that Linda Dixon made a motion to put the plan on hold until October, for staff work with the contractor to provide an estimate on a smaller skate park at Lions Park that won't interfere with the pavilion, tot lot or airplane and to provide information about re-opening the Fairview Park master plan to consider the placement of a skate park and a dog recreation area at that venue. Her motion also included direction to consider closing a portion of Park Avenue near Lions Park. The vote on Dixon's motion was 3-2, with our young jailer/mayor and his sidekick, the mayor pro tem, voting no. I was pleased that Wendy Leece took the initiative to pull this item from the Consent Calendar for discussion and lead that discussion to it's conclusion. Finally, an independent act.

PASSION AND A BLACK SCREEN
Many residents spoke passionately on this subject. Several homeowners near Lions Park raised many good questions about the inappropriateness of a skate park at that venue because of loss of green space and other valuable park elements. Representatives of the skate community provided their special insights. I'd like to report that I watched former councilman Mike Scheafer wrap up the public comments with a rousing summation - but I can't. The feed from City Hall went black in the middle of his presentation for what seemed like an eternity. It was actually less than two minutes, including the time it took to get the audio back once the picture returned. Reports from those present advised me that Scheafer's presentation was excellent. I wish I'd heard it all.

COSTA MESA DESERVES THE BEST
During the discussion several speakers opined that, because Costa Mesa is home to many major players in the skateboard industry it should be on the forefront with it's skate park efforts. They spoke of a large, world-class skate park that would attract skaters from all over and perhaps become a venue for international competitions. That sounds like something worth considering, particularly as we've now put Fairview Park in play.

It will be very interesting to see how this plays out this fall.

Stealth Skate Park Plans

According to the agenda for the Costa Mesa City Council meeting on Tuesday, August 21, 2007, there will be an item on the Consent Calendar to fund the design of a new skate park at Lions Park. This is a curious turn of events, since no official determination has been made yet as to the location of the new park. It's made more curious by this item being placed on the Consent Calendar, where - like a stealth bomber sliding under the radar - it might have slipped past unnoticed and been voted upon with all the other items on the calendar. I suspect now that it's very likely that someone will pull this item for separate discussion.

MONAHAN MOTIVES?
Almost everyone in town knows that former (and maybe future?) mayor Gary Monahan has been lobbying hard for the new skate park to be constructed at Lions Park, right on the spot where the Fish Fry is held each year. I wouldn't be surprised by a healthy turnout by members of the Lions Club to address this issue on Tuesday. After all, the Fish Fry is a tradition in this city going back more than a half century - one in which you can eat, have fun and see municipal leaders splattering hot grease on themselves while wearing those ego-busting fish hats!

WHENCE THE FISH FRY?
I know there have been conversations among some of the movers and shakers in this town about relocating the Fish Fry, perhaps to Fairview Park. There has also been talk of resurrecting the parade that was once the high point of the annual event. Sure, there's plenty of space for the festivities at Fairview Park, but that location lacks some critical facilities necessary for the Fish Fry - like a kitchen to prepare and clean up for the meals being served, for example. I'm sure there are no problems that cannot be resolved, but the cost might be prohibitive.

WHENCE THE BUMS AND DERELICTS?
Regarding Lions Park, do we really want to place a skate park at a venue presently inhabited by homeless, drunks and other derelicts to the extent that young mothers are reluctant to take their children to the park? It's always struck me as curious that such a large number of those folks infest a park with a police sub-station right across the street.

IS IT A "DONE DEAL"?
I realize that simply authorizing a preliminary design of a skate park at Lions Park doesn't necessarily mean one will be built at that location. However, with this expenditure of nearly $80,000 of taxpayers dollars by our "conservative" majority, it sure does look like a done deal to me. Of course, if you've got an unbreakable majority, you don't really have to worry about approvals in the future, do you? The least Mansoor and his pals could do would be to make it look like an above-board deal, for goodness sake. Hopefully, our young jailer/mayor has been practicing his skate boarding skills in the two years since the dedication of the Volcom Skate Park. Stiff legs don't get it.