MAILBAG - July 24, 2006

Costa Mesa should get beachfront land

Resolving the remaining islands of unincorporated lands to be incorporated into Newport Beach and Costa Mesa need not be a bitter tug-of-war or “winner take all,” rather it should be settled with civility, fairness and sound judgment.

Western Santa Ana Heights is slated to be incorporated into Newport Beach to join its Eastern Santa Ana Heights neighbors. All sides agree on this. But what of the remaining areas: the area south of Santa Ana Heights and Mesa Drive, Banning Ranch and the Santa Ana Country Club?

Newport Beach should file an application to annex the country club and the area south of Mesa Drive along with its application to annex West Santa Ana Heights. I am sure the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission would support the move. Costa Mesa officials believe it does not make sense for the country club to go to Newport Beach and will adamantly fight to keep it in their sphere. Likewise, Newport Beach wants the entire Banning Ranch area and will fight to prevent Costa Mesa from annexing it. Is there a compromise?

A few years ago while heading the New Millennium Group and lobbying for the El Toro airport I came up with a development proposal called “Costa Mesa Beach” in the Banning Ranch vicinity. I presented it to Orange County Supervisor Jim Silva and he was most interested.

It is possible for Costa Mesa officials to stake a claim and develop a respectable chunk of coastal waterway with the prestige of having a beach and harbor in their city.

“Segerstrom Bay,” as I called it, would be created where the Santa Ana River meets the canal north of Seashore Drive and Pacific Coast Highway by re-routing West Coast Highway north of the canal atop the bluff and expanding/dredging the canal to create a recreational beach and harbor that would accommodate large sail and power boats to access the bay from the ocean without the obtrusion of clearing a bridge. North of the bay would be coastal bluff housing and hotels. The entire development would tie into Talbert Regional Park.

With master planning and cooperation from the state and the California Coastal Commission, Banning Ranch “Costa Mesa Beach” could be accomplished and would radically transform the image of Costa Mesa and complement Newport Beach’s stature.

It is not asking Newport Beach to sacrifice anything but a bit of pride. A reasonable compromise would be for Costa Mesa to present such a proposal of Costa Mesa Beach to the people and to prove they have the developer’s support and the state’s approval to develop the plan.

If this can be accomplished, then Costa Mesa should be allowed to annex the Banning Ranch territory. In exchange, Costa Mesa should agree to allow Newport Beach to annex the country club and area south of Mesa Drive.

In this divide, everyone wins and Newport Beach and Costa Mesa can become stronger neighbors.

RUSS NIEWIAROWSKI

Santa Ana Heights

Maybe Newport wants to annex all Costa Mesa?

Regarding the July 11 Forum page commentary, “Newport’s proposed annexation at risk,” by Newport Beach City Councilwoman Leslie Daigle, Daigle does a wonderful job of separating the West Santa Ana Heights annexation issue from the Banning Ranch annexation discussion.

She also brings up the generosity of Newport Beach toward Costa Mesa with respect to community resource funding. Then Daigle stands united with Costa Mesa in dropping borders to work together with us for the greater good.

All of her points are excellent. The only credible argument anyone would have for opposing the city of Newport Beach annexing either of those locations could not be more eloquently illustrated than by looking at a map of both areas.

Does it seem odd to anyone else in our combined communities that we should gerrymander our city borders in such a bizarre fashion? What benefit could that possibly be to either city?

I realize that there are some homeowners who, given the opportunity, would much rather own property in Newport Beach than Costa Mesa. So, in fact, we really cannot “drop borders” as Daigle suggests.

Then again, perhaps I misread Daigle and her real intent by asking us to drop borders was to start a discussion of Newport Beach annexing all of Costa Mesa.

BRUCE KROCHMAN

Costa Mesa