DIXON AGREES WITH CM PRESS--BUT SAYS THIS FRIGHTENS HER
At the City Council meeting last night, the CM PRESS suggested that the City should change some of the ways we look at parking and open space requirements for condo conversions in order to bring in the best possible housing for Costa Mesa.
In the specific conversion request before the Council, the building itself was going to be upgraded with new electric and plumbing and a number of other things that would essentially make it like a new building.
There was one problem, however. The building was short 6 parking spaces.
The CM PRESS suggested that the landscaping could be changed so that a small, plain-Jane grassy lawn in the front could become a parking space and then that a berm could be built between the parking space and the building that could be planted with drought resistant plants similar to what is in front of The Camp on Bristol Street.
After we made our suggestion, Linda Dixon spoke and said that she agreed with the CM PRESS, but that it always frightens her when she agrees with something we've suggested.
The Council pretty much went along with the CM PRESS and our new best friend, Ms. Dixon, on this suggestion. It may sound like a small thing; unless you're one of those who buy one of these condos and can't find anyplace to park your car.
While the CM PRESS had hoped that our suggestion would prime the creativity pump and that the Council would then try to find even more potential parking spaces on the site, this didn't happen. Never fear, the CM PRESS is relentless in improving our city. We'll be back to make more suggestions and frighten Ms. Dixon some more in future meetings.
Of course, Ms. Dixon doesn't have to be frightened when she agrees with us. Our suggestions to the Council are always ones that we believe will help improve Costa Mesa; and isn't this a worthy goal for everyone who lives here?
The CM PRESS works on very simple principle: We ask whether or not something that is before the City Council, the no-Planning Commission or the Parks and Recreation Commission will help improve Costa Mesa or not.
If we conclude that on balance something will help improve our city, then we're for it. If we conclude that on balance it won't help improve our city, then we're against it.
If it's a mixed bag (as is often the case), and has some bad and some good, we try to make suggestions that might make the project better.
In the case of apartments being converted to condos, we believe that this is generally good for the city because this helps correct our owner vs. renter statistics (Costa Mesa has 60% renters and 40% owner occupied residences and this is just about the reverse of what it should be).
However, many of the older apartments were built with less stringent parking and other requirements that make them substandard for today's Costa Mesa.
When the CM PRESS looks at such projects, we try to come up with reasonable suggestions to make the finished project better for Costa Mesa citizens.
Ms. Dixon, isn't it time that you admitted that you really do agree with a lot--perhaps most--of what the CM PRESS and improvers want for Costa Mesa? Isn't it time that you overcame your biases and joined with those who are working hard to make Costa Mesa the great almost-on-the-coast city it can be?
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Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.
