Final (?) General Plan Workshop In The Can

FINAL WORKSHOP
Last night city staff and consultants responsible for creating the updated General Plan held what is likely the final public workshop before they begin working on the draft document that will be presented to the Planning Commission and, subsequently, to the City Council.

SMALL TURNOUT
There was a very small turnout last night.  Only fourteen people were in the seats when the meeting began a few minutes after 6:00.  The "crowd" grew to around 30 as other meetings in the building wrapped up.  However, what it lacked in size it made up for with enthusiasm and tenacity - and frustration.

THE "USUAL SUSPECTS"
Many of the attendees have made it to most, if not all, the other such meetings over the past year or so that this process has taken so far.  Some were clearly frustrated by the format and the fact that the overwhelming views of participants in some of the prior meetings seem to have been ignored - specifically concerns about high-density housing and traffic.

INADEQUATE ADVERTISING
Last night was billed as follows:

You'll notice that "Safety and Noise" got top billing, but the little sub-heading that mentions "community design, growth management and historical resources" was virtually ignored.  Well, the bulk of the meeting was dedicated to those elements and I expect many more residents would have shown up if those items had been more prominently displayed.

SAFETY OVERVIEWS
Fire Chief Dan Stefano and Police Lieutenant Keith Davis provided an overview of the current status of their departments and also answered specific questions.

FIRE STAFFING AND DEPLOYMENT
Stefano spoke of the new organizational structure, the deployment of the new paramedic ambulances and the possible closure of Fire Station #6.  He told us that the new organization configuration is not quite complete, and that they are actively recruiting 5 new firefighter/paramedics.

POLICE STAFFING AND NEW HIRES
Davis spoke of the current staffing levels - around 100 versus the current authorized strength of 136 - and mentioned the recent graduation of five (5) new police officers who have just begun their field training.

THE PROCESS AND CONCERNS

As has been the case in some previous meetings, charts were on display around the room and participants were asked to indicate priorities/concerns using colored stickers and/or post-it notes.  Before that exercise, though, the audience asked many questions on specific issues of concern to them.  Some of those were:

• Concerns about the format and the lack of inclusion of questions/concerns from previous meetings.
• No real analysis of density issues and the current patterns of redevelopment.
• Apparent lack of concern for quality of life issues.
• No indication that water is being considered at all in this process.
• Concern about lack of "lateral" officers being recruited.
• Concern about "police blotter" and "activity log" no longer available.
• Questions about the approval/evaluation process of new building projects by the Fire Department.
• Questions about the closure of Fire Station #6.
• Questions about why we still use a commercial ambulance to transport victims.
• Concern about wider use of traffic signal preemption to facilitate emergency vehicles moving across town.
• Limited publicity of this meeting - hence, the poor turnout.  And, difficulty finding info on the City Web site.  After much searching you can find the page HERE.

CHARTS, STICKERS AND NOTES
Here are some images of some of the charts used last night and some of the post-it notes with questions/concerns.

ANOTHER YEAR OR SO TO GO
According to the consultant, Laura Stetson, the Draft General Plan will take about 6 months, and the final approval by the council another half a year or so.  This is going to end up being a two-year project.

HOUSING ELEMENT DONE
On the brighter side, Director of Development Services, Gary Armstrong, told us that the Housing Element was completed promptly and has been submitted, meaning that the City will only have to update that segment every eight (8) years instead of four (4).

WAITING
So, now we wait for the draft document to be prepared and the public hearings before the Planning Commission..... humming the Jeopardy! theme...

Gnarly, Dude! Historic Waves At The Wedge!

IN ALL IT'S GLORY!
Hurricane Marie is doing a number on Southern California beaches.  It's all over the news, so I jumped in my little automobile and drove to the overlook of Corona del Mar beach to look across the jetty at The Wedge to see what I could see.  I knew I couldn't get to the actual sand because the Newport Beach Police Department issued a warning to stay the heck away because of traffic and lack of parking... I can believe it!

REAL NEWS COVERAGE

Take a look at some of these shots I took across the way!  Also, read Emily Foxhall's piece in the Daily Pilot, HERE, and view the Daily Pilot photo gallery, HERE.  Lots of news coverage - helicopters PLUS the Coast Guard chopper patrolling, too.  Enjoy.

There was a guy on the beach using a drone to video the action in the waves!  Just happened to catch it in this shot.

Curious Discussions At The Planning Commission Meeting

SMALL CROWD, CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS
At the Costa Mesa Planning Commission meeting Monday night the small crowd - 22 people at the high point - had a chance to hear some curious conversations.

FITZY FIGHTS OFF THE SANDMAN
Early in the meeting Chairman Jim Fitzpatrick was clearly having difficulty staying awake.  I really did expect him to nod off during the discussion of the proposed new car wash on 17th Street.  He didn't, but it was close.

CAR WASH APPROVED
On that subject, after longer than anticipated conversation the commission approved the plan, 4-0 - commissioner Tim Sesler was AWOL.  The only controversy was the fact that commissioner Colin McCarthy didn't like their roof line!  Yep, he didn't like the appearance of it - a kind of "S" shaped canopy in the front of the building.  Other commissioners joined him and it seemed like they might actually ask the applicant to abandon it - his brand identification - for the approval to proceed.  In the end common sense prevailed, but they will ask him to work with the staff to lower the feature to a level that will still permit trash trucks to drive under it.  And, there was some serious discussion about the volume of traffic that is anticipated to be routed out the back of the facility, through what was described as an alley, but is really the parking lot of the strip mall on Irvine Avenue.

NEW HOMES ON TUSTIN
Then came the final item on the agenda, the proposed development of 11 fee simple homes on Tustin Avenue at the corner of Ogle Street.  This one seemed like a no-brainer - replacing 14 old apartment units with 11 brand-new homes that would sell in the $900,000 and up range.  The developer, Chad Brown of Melia Homes, had good answers for all the questions and also managed to fend off most of the angry protests by the eleven speakers who challenged it.


DICKSON FLUMMOXED BY THE SMALL LOT ORDINANCE
As it wound down to the end Vice Chairman Rob Dickson seemed very hung up on the fact that this project, which fell under the recently-approved Small Lot Ordinance, failed to meet the requirements of that ordinance because the front set back requested was only 12 feet instead of the minimum 20 feet required.  The conversation went 'round and 'round, with Fitzpatrick lethargically suggesting that Dickson take a little more time to think about it.  He said he didn't need to think about it, so the vote was called and it passed, 3-1, with Dickson dissenting.

OOPS!  NOW WHAT, OLLIE?
This was a very interesting test for the Small Lot Ordinance, which was designed to eliminate the morass of administrative adjustments, deviations, variances and other modifiers of the then-current codes that made life difficult for developers.  This ordinance was hailed by many of those developers as the key to infill developments in Costa Mesa.  Well, as it turns out, it's not quite that easy and I wouldn't be surprised if someone appeals the decision to the City Council later this week.

ANGRY CROWD
That was it for the evening.  Many of the speakers interested in that project left the auditorium shouting at the commissioners over their shoulders.  It was as raucous a crowd I've seen at a Planning Commission meeting in many, many months.  The next Planning Commission meeting is Monday, September 8th.

General Plan Workshop Wednesday Night

NOISE AND SAFETY TO BE DISCUSSED
Apparently there will be a poorly-advertised General Plan Workshop covering Safety and Noise on Wednesday evening at the Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Avenue (Lions Park).  From 6-7 p.m. there will be an Open House and from 7-8 p.m. there will be a "Facilitated Discussion".  Here's the announcement:

A CHANCE TO PROVIDE INPUT
In theory these workshops, facilitated by staff and consultants, are designed to generate input from the community as the General Plan Update process continues.  While I understand the theoretical value of this process, many of those who have attended most, if not all, of the previous workshops have come away a little jaded.  Input regarding high density housing, for example, seems to have been uniformly ignored by elected leaders.

SHOW UP!
Please show up Wednesday night - you can play on a Fire Truck - and provide input to the City Staff on this important issue.  See you there.

Measure "O" - The Bogus Charter

PLENTY OF REASONS TO VOTE NO ON "O"

There are many reasons NOT to vote in favor of Measure "O", the most recent attempt by Mayor Jim Righeimer to take over complete control of our municipal government and solidify his position as a de facto dictator.  We'll enumerate them as time passes and we get closer to election day.

MOONEY'S COMMENTARY
However, I cannot miss the opportunity to direct your attention to Charles Mooney's current commentary in the Daily Pilot, HERE, which outlines the two sections of this very flawed document that, from my standpoint - and Mooney's too - are stakes in the heart of this measure - Sections 104 and 806.

PROBABILITY OF ABUSE OF POWER

Those segments provide the elected leaders of this city with unlimited power to do whatever they wish to do once this flawed document is adopted.  The kind of probable abuse of power provided by those sections is precisely why Costa Mesa should remain a General Law city, with all the protections from abuse that form of government provides.

READ IT YOURSELF

You will likely hear and read lots of rhetoric about The Charter as we head for the election in November.  It's hard to sort fact from politically-driven fiction.  So, I invite you to READ the document itself - it's not that complicated - and focus on Section 104 and 806.  I think you'll find Mooney's opinion accurate.  You'll find The Charter HERE on the City web site.  Additionally, if you go HERE you'll find other links that might be helpful to you, including direct arguments for and against The Charter and rebuttals to each.

A "STACKED" COMMITTEE

Keep in mind that when folks tell you that The Charter was created by a "blue ribbon" committee, that committee was stacked by Righeimer and his majority on the City Council with folks who he knew shared his vision for the takeover of the government.  I attended most of the Charter Committee meetings - I saw the interaction among the members and the bias they brought to the table.  I watched as facilitators Kirk Bauermeister and Mike Decker toiled to keep the meetings productive.  Attorney and former City Council candidate John Stephens - an opponent of The Charter - outlined the process and the result in a recent Daily Pilot commentary, HERE.

DON'T BE FOOLED...
So, don't be fooled by the smoke screen of Pension Reform - The Charter will do NOTHING to resolve our Unfunded Pension Liability!  Don't be fooled by the mantra of "Local Control" being chanted by supporters of Righeimer's latest Charter.  That is code for more power in the hands of the elected leaders, NOT the people of the community.

VOTE NO ON "O"!

Candidate Forum Replay Schedule

DON'T MISS THOSE MAGIC MOMENTS!
For those of you who missed the City Council Candidate Forum hosted by Mesa Verde Community, Inc. Thursday evening, the following is the replay schedule for the 2 hour, 10 minute program on Costa Mesa Television, Channel 3 on Time Warner Cable and Channel 99 on ATT U-Verse.

STREAMING VIDEO NOT UP YET
As of this posting the streaming video of the meeting is not yet available.  When it does become available you will be able to find it HERE. 

FORM YOUR OWN OPINIONS
You've read what I wrote about it, HERE,  and what Bradly Zint wrote in the Daily Pilot, HERE.  Now view it for yourselves.  Watch each candidate respond to the questions and form your OWN opinions.  Watch Rita Louise Simpson show up late to the podium, then seem perpetually lost during the entire evening.

THE BULLY IN ACTION
Watch your mayor attempt to bully other candidates and talk longer than permitted by the rules.  Sound familiar?  It should - that's his modus operandi - to stifle opposing views and make up his own rules as he goes along.

YOU PICK'EM
Decide which candidate(s) YOU think did the best Thursday evening.  I thought Katrina Foley and Jay Humphrey looked steady and ready.  I thought Chris Bunyan and Tony Capitelli did well - better than I anticipated.  I thought Al Melone did better than two years ago, but still demonstrates an incomplete grasp of important issues.  I thought Jim Righeimer demonstrated the character flaws that he's shown us since he took office.  However, YOU watch and YOU decide.  But, don't look for Lee Ramos - he had better things to do Thursday night.

 FEET TO THE FIRE UP NEXT
 Next stop, the Feet To The Fire Forum on September 18th at Orange Coast College.

Planning Commission Meeting Agenda

SHORT MEETING ANTICIPATED
Next Monday, August 25, 2014, the Costa Mesa Planning Commission - under the "dynamic leadership" of Chairman Jim Fitzpatrick - will meet to  discuss a short agenda, which you can read HERE.  The meeting begins at 6:00 in City Council Chambers at City Hall.

REVOKING TWO CUP'S
The Consent Calendar includes the revocation of two Conditional Use Permits for property on Pomona Avenue, HERE.

A NEW CAR WASH
Public Hearing #1, HERE, is a request for a Conditional Use Permit to demolish the defunct existing Beacon Bay Car Wash at at 481 East 17th Street and replace it with a Fast 5 Express Car Wash.  This seems like a good solution.

11 OWNERSHIP UNITS REPLACING 14 APARTMENTS
Public Hearing #2, HERE, is a request to replace 14 apartment units with 11 fee-simple ownership units at 1631 and 1645 Tustin Avenue, at the corner of Ogle Street, each of which will be greater than 2,000 square feet - right around the corner from that Car Wash.  It appears that the only significant request for adjustments is on the front setback, which should be 20 feet but 12 feet is requested.

LOOKING FORWARD TO AN EARLY NIGHT
Unless Fitzpatrick tries to dazzle us with his knowledge of car washes - he used to be in the business of car wash processes that used what amounted to a mouthful of spit to clean your car - we should be out of there by 7:00 p.m.

Five New Costa Mesa Cops Hit The Streets

FIVE NEW OFFICERS GRADUATE
In a press release yesterday the Costa Mesa Police Department announced the graduation of five officers from the Orange County Sheriff's Regional Training Academy.  According to the information provided, 44 officers, from 14 local police departments, were honored during the ceremony last night for officers who successfully completed the six-month training program designed to prepare officers for the streets.  Course instruction included tactical firearms use, arrest and control techniques, laws of arrest, physical training, emergency vehicle operation and practical scenario-based field problems.

THEY ARE...
Costa Mesa Police Department's five attending officers all successfully completed academy instruction.  Graduating Costa Mesa Police Officers included Officer David Frankle, Officer Zachary Blythe, Officer Joseph Carboni, Officer Jesse Chartier and Officer Trevor Jones.

BEST OF THE BUNCH
Officer Frankle was nominated by his class peers as their class president.  Frankle was also ranked as the overall #1 graduate in the class.  He was presented with the Outstanding Officer Award and Written Examination Award to recognize his distinguished performance earning the highest average exam scores, and earning the highest number of overall points in academy performance.

 Officer David Frankle, center, shown with Captain Rob Sharpnack, Chief Tom Gazsi, Lieutenant Mark Manley and Lieutenant Bryan Glass

CONGRATULATIONS
Kudos to these fine young men for their completion of training.  They will now work with training officers in the CMPD before working independently on the streets of our city.  Kudos to Officer David Frankle for his outstanding performance and leadership.  We welcome them to our city and look forward to meeting them as they do their part to keep us safe.  They will start to work Monday and spend at least the next four months under the guidance of a Field Training Officer before they begin to work on their own.