ONCE MORE WE WADE INTO THE FDC MORASS

SPARSE CROWD FOR AN IMPORTANT ISSUE - Last night, once again, I attended a meeting about the future of the Fairview Developmental Center property - more than 100 acres near the center of Costa Mesa that has become surplus land for the State of California and, in theory, is available for new uses, mainly housing.  This meeting, at the Norma Hertzog Community Center, was very sparsely attended.  My guess is that fewer than 40 residents attended.  They were outnumbered by members of the staff and consultants.  I saw Councilman Manuel Chavez chatting with rookie Planning Commissioner David Martinez.  Former Councilman Jay Humphrey sat near me, as did the husband and wife team of activists, Cynthia McDonald and Rick Huffman.  Flo Martin also joined us at our table.  There were several senior staff members in attendance at this meeting, plus many other staffers.

CECILIA KICKS IT OFF - The meeting was scheduled to run from 6-8 p.m., but it was kicked off a few minutes late by Assistant City Manager/Acting Economic and Develop
ment Services Director Cecilia Gallardo-Daly.  Suzanne Schwab of the consulting firm Landworks  provided the brief discussion, which was basically a walk through the 21 slides projected on the large screen and provided as a handout (copies of which will be included here - some, not all).  A Spanish interpretation was included, which slowed the process down significantly.  I could not tell how many Spanish-speakers were in the small crowd.  As far as I could tell, there was no audio nor video recording of this meeting.

BAIT AND SWITCH - The State of California originally told us the entire site was available for our consideration, with the exception of 15 acres of prime real estate earmarked for their Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Heliport.  Over the months the heliport was abandoned, but they kept the entire 15 acres when all they actually needed was around 2 acres for an office building and warehouse.  And, according to the consultants and staff members last night, the State is unwilling to relinquish the prime site overlooking our golf course and move the site closer to the Harbor Blvd. entrance.  Of course, that makes a lot of sense, so they, naturally, won't do it.  In fact, the EOC could, and probably should, be located elsewhere - like a perfect 20 acre site in Tustin in an industrial area close to 3 freeways.  Nah, that makes too much sense.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE - Not only that, but last night we learned that the State also has decided to retain another 20 acres for "other uses", including infrastructure for managing services for developmentally disabled folks - just as the entire site did before the State declared it surplus.  So, that now leaves us with only 80 or so acres for which we can plan for much-needed housing.  It is that remainder on which the current schemes are based.

3 CONCEPTS - The consultants presented slides with three concepts - Fairview Promenade, Fairview Fields and Fairview Commons, images of which are included.  The Promenade involves just under 115 acres and provides for 2,300 units.  The Fields is just over 115 acres and provides for 3,450 units and the Commons is similar in size but provides for 4,000 units and less park space.  You can see the breakdown along affordability lines on the images provided.

WANDER AND ASK QUESTIONS - Following the presentation, which took about a half hour including translation, the attendees were encouraged to wander among the 5 “stations” set up and manned by staff and consultants to answer any questions.  Those “stations” were Land Use Concepts and Project Information; Housing; Mobility and Traffic; Open Space and Parks and Infrastructure and Site Development.  Images are included.  One staggering fact provided in the last slide is the estimate of more than $250,000,000 for site preparation costs - Demolition, Remediation, Infrastructure/Utilities, Streets/Landscaping, Grading and Impact Fees.

NEXT STEPS AND SURVEY - We were also provided with “next steps” and encouraged to provide input via a survey.  We are encouraged to provide feedback by email to FDCHousingPlan@costamesca.gov.

MORE MEETINGS - Tonight, Thursday, July 25th, there will be another similar meeting at St. John the Baptist School beginning at 6 p.m. and will cover the same information.  There will also be a virtual meeting in both English and Spanish on July 31st.  We were also informed that there will be a “pop up” meeting for Spanish-speakers at Iglesia Harbor Church on August 1st, also at 6 p.m.  Here’s a link with more information, including the information necessary to participate in the virtual meeting next week: www.FDChousingplan.com

SURVEY - I have not yet completed the survey, but will go online to do so. Question #4 is interesting.  It asks “Do you support allowing up to 4,000 dwelling units in the preferred plan?” and you are asked to respond by checking either “More” or “Less”..  I would have thought the more appropriate choices would have been “Yes” or “No”.  On the positive side, we were not burdened by being expected to place “stickers” on the charts this time!

MY TAKE - I was disappointed in the small turnout for this meeting.  This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our City to create a new, special place for much-needed housing but only a few people showed up to hear the latest iteration of the plan.  I was also very disappointed that the proposed EOC is still on this plan, occupying the most prime piece of real estate on the entire site.  And, we are told, that construction on that ill-advised facility will start sometime next year!  Yikes!  I was pleased to see two of the plans included a second road from Harbor Blvd. into the site.  One thing that is not clear is whether there is a plan to provide emergency access to the site from the Fire Station on Placentia directly across the golf course rather than require emergency responders to drive around to the main entrance(s).  I encourage you to attend one of the other meetings scheduled or participate in the virtual meeting next week.

LINKS - I’ve written about this issue several times.  I’ve provided links to those individual entries below, just in case you want to refresh your memories.

Fairview Developmental Center Zoom Meeting 11/7/23

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/36907480/8516859097711182567

The Future of the FDC - The Resident’s Concerns 11/5/23

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/36907480/2282036690955319612

“Visioning” the Fairview Developmental Center 11/4/23

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/36907480/4364873693775678026

My correspondence Regarding the Proposed EOC 10/13/23

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/36907480/5777558731070983448

FDC Emergency Operations Center Meeting 9/29/23

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/36907480/4450809590635044181

SAYING GOODBYE TO A FRIEND

AN UNEXPECTED DEPARTURE

On Wednesday, January 12, 2024, my friend, Allen Klosowski, unexpectedly passed away of natural causes in his home in Newport Beach, about a mile from my home. On Saturday, January 27, 2024, a warm cloudless Southern California day, my Sweet Susie and I joined a small group of friends and family at his gravesite to send him on his final journey. 

THREE QUARTERS OF A CENTURY OF FRIENDSHIP

I have known Allen from the first day of kindergarten. He and I were classmates through elementary school, junior high school, high school, and a couple semesters of junior college. We were schoolmates, but not buddies.

SEPARATE PATHS

Our paths diverged as he went on to the University of Southern California and I went into the United States Army to fly helicopters.  They didn’t re-converge until a decade later, when we met up at a high school reunion. He had been our Senior Class President and, as such, he was charged with trying to round up classmates for reunions. We would talk infrequently - we each were going about leading our own lives. 

TRAGEDY RE-CONNECTED US

In 1986 his wife, Jeannie, passed away of lung cancer and her 3 children moved in with their father. From that time until a couple years ago Allen and I would meet for lunch once a week and chat about common interests - old school days, old friends and his beloved USC football teams.   Saturday I learned that he had regular, but less frequent, lunch meetings with other old chums and business associates. 

SELFLESS GENEROSITY

I also learned of his selfless philanthropy, both in terms of cash and as a mentor to many, particularly veterans. Several speakers at his gravesite told us about his generosity and encouragement, all of which made me even more proud of my friend.  For example, his long-time assistant, and now the executor of his estate, told us his thoughtfulness and professionalism as her boss and friend. 

We heard from the man who purchased his business and about how Allen continued to stay in touch with his old clients to smooth the transition. 

One of his USC fraternity brothers spoke of their fun times together and their continuing friendship.  

One young veteran, who had been considering the seminary, spoke about the mentoring he received from my friend which resulted in a return to college and a successful career as a Director of Employee Wellness at a resort. 

We learned of another veteran he sponsored at the USC Marshall School of Business and now works in clandestine activities for the US Government. And, we learned of his generosity to the USC Norris Cancer facility in Los Angeles that resulted in a wing of that facility being named for him and his late wife, Jeannie.   Allen was very humble about these activities. 

AND HE WAS STUBBORN, TOO

From conversations with those attending the service, and who later joined us at Allen’s home for refreshments, there were a couple common threads. One was his kindness and generosity, as mentioned above. The other was his stubbornness. To say that my friend was firm in his opinions, on almost any subject, would be a major understatement. Those observations had been presented with light-hearted admiration, not criticism. 

YOUTHFUL STORIES SHARED

Allen was a pretty typical kid in our youth. When I announced his passing to classmates I heard from a few of his close friends from those early days, sharing stories of escapades of their time together. He and I did not share a social life in high school - my focus was elsewhere - but he had a very active, fun time as a teenager. 

POLIO CHANGED HIS FOCUS

Allen contracted polio as a teenager and simply disappeared for awhile. When he returned to school he seemed to have a tighter focus on academics and service. I mentioned he was our class president, but that was only part of it. He participated in many service-oriented groups. That focus stayed with him all his life. 

A PROUD, GRATEFUL TROJAN

Allen was proud of his time at USC and as a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, where one of  his “brothers” was actor Tom Selleck.  He maintained a close relationship with some of those men, one of whom spoke today. He has been very generous to the school, trying to repay the opportunities it provided to him. 

EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL

Allen was a very successful businessman, operating a financial advisory practice for decades before selling it and retiring a few years ago. He wrote a book - Personal Financial Fitness, a practical guide to improve the health of your wealth - which is in it’s 5th edition. By helping others improve their financial health he earned a very good living, the proceeds of which he has generously shared over the years. 

WITH SOME UNHAPPY ELEMENTS, TOO

We also learned of the sad, inexplicable estrangement from his step-daughters for more than 3 decades.  They came to pay their respects to him.

REST IN PEACE, MY OLD FRIEND

So, Saturday we laid our kind, generous, stubborn friend to rest with his dear Jeannie. His positive impact on those in his life, and beyond to future generations, will endure. Rest in peace, my friend. 

FAIRVIEW PARK MASTER PLAN MEETING

INTRO AND OBJECTIVES - Last Wednesday, November 8, 2023, I attended a meeting at the Costa Mesa Senior Center to discuss the Fairview Park Master Plan.  Once again, the hosts optimistically anticipated a couple hundred attendees and, once again, we were disappointed as fewer than 60 people were in the room, and at least a third of those were City staffers or consultants.  Fewer than 20 of us spoke during the Q & A session.

THE DISCUSSION LEADERS - The meeting was kicked off by Jenni Zell of consultants MIG.  She handed it off to Fairview Park Administrator Kelly Dalton.  Then the bulk of the presentation was done by consultant Travis Brooks from Land IG, who was joined later by Robb Hamilton of Hamilton Biological.

THE PRESENTATION - The 90 minute presentation itself was outstanding.  Travis Brooks and Robb Hamilton did a good job of guiding us through the whole thing.  Each of us had a multi-page handout with 66 individual photos describing the history of the area, the topography, the progression of the site and showing many images of flora and fauna from the area.  It was very informative.  You can view the slideshow HERE.

Q&A - Nineteen of us stepped to the microphones to ask questions and make comments and suggestions.  Some were knowledge-based and some were simply due to curiosity and concern.

SPEAKERS - Here is my summary of a few of the speakers who stepped up...

Long time city activist and committee participant Bill Turpit led things off by opining about the apparent unwillingness of the City Council/staff to step up and pay the real cost of restoration/maintenance and protection of the more than 200 acre site.

Henry Smith, long time member of the Harbor Soaring Society, the group whose operations at Fairview Park are currently curtailed due to perceived negative impact on the plants and birds which are part of that area, stepped up and made a not-very-veiled threat to take political action against council members who continue to support their denial of space in the park.  That was inappropriate and disappointing.

Former councilman Jay Humphrey, who remains very involved in important city issues, addressed the impact of Measure AA, which severely constrains any activity in the Park.  He said things can happen as long as they specifically involve Restoration, Preservation or Maintenance.  Someone earlier mentioned grading, which he said is not permitted.  He also spoke of the creation of a plant nursery on, or near, the site, to provide replacement foliage.

Andy Campbell, Chair of the Fairview Park Steering Committee and a hydrologist by profession, spoke of mitigating the impact of the gliders, removal of the fill in the canyon area, the need to restore the vernal pool drainage and asked about the dormant Storm Drain Master Plan.  He spoke a second time later and asked about the State Grant from Senator Min and wondered how soon it must be spent or lost.

Cynthia D'Agosto, former Fairview Park Administrator and continuing activist, also addressed drainage and vernal pools.  She actually spoke twice.  The second time she addressed the "cultural resources" buried in the park and the approvals necessary to further investigate/protect them. She also commented that Fairview Park is not managed the same way as other city parks due to Measure AA.

Planning Commissioner Angely Andrade Vallarta, attending with her young daughter, thanked the moderators for the presentation and acknowledged the need to address the issues presented and described the Park as one of the City "Hot Topics".

"Kyle", who has been at many meetings lately, thanked the presenters for the historical perspective and bemoaned the small turnout, citing the need for better outreach.

"Paul", from the Banning Ranch Conservancy, also thanked the presenters for the historical perspective and said they supported the habitat restoration.  He cited the proximity to the Talbert Nature Preserve and the recently re-named Randall Preserve and said they would be VERY interested in the recommendations that come out of these meetings.

"Ben", in response to earlier comments about the bicyclers who used the dirt "jumps", suggested just moving them.  He also suggested making it harder for people to stray from the established, approved trails.

Flo Martin, long time city activist and proponent of walking and biking, asked about the number of Park Rangers assigned and in place in the Park on a daily basis.  Kelly Dalton had no numbers.  She also decried the threat by Henry Smith.

60-year resident John Rittenhouse, a member of the Harbor Soaring Society, attempted to defuse the anger about Henry Smith's earlier comment by inviting folks to the Park the 1st and 3rd Saturdays to enjoy the flying and learn about aviation.  He suggested we "stay the course before we judge".

Activist Cynthia McDonald, a self-described "pro-bike" person, expressed concern about the impact of bicycling within the Park.  She described her personal history with the creation of the Waldorf School (contiguous with the Park) and the evolution of parking spaces and drainage and the jeopardy the vernal pools had been in recently.

"Diane", a lady in the pink-trimmed hat, stepped up to suggest regularly-scheduled meetings/tours in the park to improve community awareness.

I was the final speaker and agreed with "Diane".  I spoke about the guided tour I joined in the spring during which we had a chance to see the full vernal pools in all their aquatic glory.  I suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that they would have made a great place for model boat racing.  Folks chuckled, nervously.  Scheduling similar tour days - perhaps quarterly - would go a very long way to educate the populace about the value of the Park.

TAKEAWAYS - 1-I was disappointed, again, at the few number of people who showed up for this very important meeting.  There were several senior staffers and I did see Planning Commission Chairman Adam Ereth in the room, but it was another meeting with fewer than 50 residents in attendance.  It was an exclamation point in the need for The City to figure out a way to cast a bigger net for these very important meetings. 2-I thought the consultants, all of them, did a very good job of presenting the program, although there seemed to be few answers to important questions asked by speakers. 3-There needs to be more of these kinds of meetings. 4-There is a need for more guided tours of the Park throughout the year.  You can follow along with the progress at the City website on this issue, HERE.