CM PRESS # 225

COSTA MESA...TO THE OCEAN

At the joint City Council/Parks and Recreation Commission meeting yesterday, Mayor Righeimer suggested that Costa Mesa should go all the way to the ocean.

We totally agree.  In fact, we've written about this many times.  All we need is a small window on the ocean near the mouth of the Santa Ana River and suddenly Costa Mesa is a true coastal community.

A small thing geographically, but a big thing psychologically and PR wise and a way to add value to the Costa Mesa name.

As the leader in the surf wear industry, it just makes good sense that our City should actually touch some small part of the ocean, or brackish water, or whatever we can get that has a little salt in it.
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WE STILL HAVE A BAD TASTE IN OUR MOUTH OVER THE PRESENTATION ON IMPROVING W. 19TH STREET

(And we're not pleased with the uncritical cooing of some Planning Commissioners over the plans as presented.)

As we reported in both CM PRESS # 223 and #224, the Planning Commission heard a report on Monday from a consultant supposedly on how to improve W. 19th Street.

Now, maybe the consultant was given the wrong idea of what he was supposed to do because those who told him what he was to do have the wrong idea.

At any rate, what the consultant did was come back with pretty renderings of the street with palm trees and two turn-a-bouts and a couple of crosswalks.

Yes, he concentrated almost completely on "the street," as a street--as a roadway-- and did not give much if any attention to what is on both sides of the street--sidewalks, stores, etc.

There was no gestalt.

Now, folks, when someone says, for example, East 17th Street is a nice street and they like going over there. Do you think they really mean that they just like driving down the street looking at medians and crosswalks, or do you think what they mean is that the street (as an area) has a nice ambiance with  shops and restaurants that these people want to patronize? They're not really talking about the street surface; they're saying the area has gemutlichkeit.

Sure, the medians and their plants and features and the crosswalks figure into it, but those are like furniture.  They simply help with the overall feel of the area.  Of course they should look nice, but if you don't take a holistic approach and talk about the sidewalks and stores, you're missing the point of why you want to improve the street at all.

What we had expected from the consultant was a fuller, more encompassing view of W. 19th Street in which the merchants and sidewalks and feel of the area were all incorporated into a total vision that also included the roadway.

West 19th Street (meaning the area) should be as nice as, but not identical to, E. 17th Street, and it should be transformed into a pedestrian friendly, main shopping street of the Westside and blend in with the Triangle and Mother's Market as a vibrant and symbiotic part of a real downtown for Costa Mesa.

To be clear, when we say blend in with the Triangle and Mother's market, we do not mean that the faux mission style look should be used.  In fact, we think that look is dated and sleepy and does us no good.  We think W. 19th Street should have more of a minimalist and spare, industrial/techno modern look and feel and other features that link it to the industrial area that is still important in the area and which can tie all of the Westside, including the bridge over Placentia, into an area with a unique identity.

West 19th Street should not be made into a fast moving mini-freeway just used by drivers who will see a blur of palm trees as they rush to the  55.
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