Inside CITYHALL

WHAT HAPPENED: The City Council postponed a decision Monday about what

to do with a city-owned site at Hamilton and Charle streets.

The council voted in February to kill plans to build a skateboard park

at the site.

City officials and residents have debated the location of the park for

more than two years. The city has been interested in building a skate

park for 10 years and began looking at locations in 1998, when state law

changed to protect cities from skateboard liability.

Council members approved a site last year at Lions Park but changed

their minds after neighbors raised concerns about potential flooding and

traffic problems, as well as diminishing green space at the site.

Designs for the Charle and Hamilton park were in the final stages,

with the city less than a month away from putting the project up for bid

when the council voted it down.

WHAT IT MEANS: City staff had recommended that the council consider

selling the property to the owner of the adjacent site at 523 Hamilton

St.

The council directed staff to investigate whether the adjacent

property owner is interested in buying the site and what plans the owner

has for the site if interested.

The council also asked the staff to create a proposal for a park at

the site and will discuss the site again at a future meeting. The date

has not yet been determined.

VOTE: 3 to 2 to continue, with Mayor Libby Cowan and Councilwoman

Karen Robinson dissenting

WHAT HAPPENED: The City Council postponed making a decision on whether

to restore the Huscroft House, a white, two-story, Craftsman-style house.

In December, the council approved the restoration of the house --

donated to the city by Eric Cernich, a developer and Costa Mesa resident

who bought it from the Huscroft family -- for use as part of a cultural

museum at Fairview Park, but in February voted to have a public hearing

to determine if it’s worth the cost.

Moving the house to Fairview Park is expected to cost the city

$137,707.

According to a staff report, the city has already spent $82,124 on the

house and would have to spend an additional $446,774, plus an annual

operation and maintenance cost of $18,000, to restore the house for use

as a museum. Demolition and disposal of the house would cost $60,950,

according to the report.

Councilman Gary Monahan has said he thinks the money could be better

spent in other ways, but Councilwoman Linda Dixon has said she thinks the

restoration will cost less than expected because the city will be able to

collect donations and use volunteers.

WHAT IT MEANS: The council will discuss the issue again, though the

date has not been scheduled yet. The council postponed the decision to

get additional information on the house from the Cultural Arts and

Historical Resources Committee.

VOTE: 5 to 0 to continue

WHAT HAPPENED: The council voted to encourage residents to fly the

U.S. flag on freedom days.

WHAT IT MEANS: The city will use press releases and cable television

announcements to notify residents about freedom days two weeks in advance

and to provide information about flag etiquette.

Freedom days include Labor Day, Banner Day, Flag Day, Memorial Day,

Fourth of July and Veterans Day. The council also decided to include the

city’s incorporation date, June 29, and Constitution Day, Sept. 17.

WHAT THEY SAID: “Young people may not realize that flying the flag

represents American values and that any time we fly the flag we are

reaffirming the foundation of those values,” Dixon said.

VOTE: 5-0 to approve

NEXT MEETING:

WHAT: Regular Costa Mesa City Council meeting

WHERE: Costa Mesa City Hall, 77 Fair Drive

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. April 2

INFORMATION: (714) 754-5223