Commission balks at creating voter-approved advisory committee for new Costa Mesa development fee

Costa Mesa planning commissioners balked this week at establishing a committee meant to advise the City Council on spending money collected under Measure Z, a voter-approved initiative that calls for a fee applying to some new development in town.

During its meeting Monday, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended that the council move ahead with establishing the fee — which would apply to all new development north of the 405 Freeway and west of Fairview Road and go toward increasing recreation, open space and public park facilities — but not create the advisory committee that’s also outlined in the measure.

Commission Vice Chairman Byron de Arakal said he thinks the fee, which hasn’t yet been set but can’t exceed $1.50 per square foot of new development, is unlikely to create “a giant pot of money falling out of the sky.”

“We’re setting up a bureaucracy … to recommend the expenditure of money that, we don’t even know, it could be 25 bucks a year,” de Arakal said. “That’s a huge waste to me, and we have a Parks and Recreation Commission that could easily do that.”

Measure Z, approved by 55.8% of local voters in November’s election, requires creation of a seven-member committee to advise the council on spending the fee money.

However, the measure allows the city to change certain parts of its language.

During Monday’s meeting, commission Chairman Stephan Andranian asked Assistant City Attorney Tarquin Preziosi whether the city could simply not create the committee.

Preziosi said that’s “a legally gray area” because it could be seen as a significant change to the measure.

“I guess that will be figured out at some point?” Andranian asked.

“Yes,” Preziosi responded.

City staff is reviewing the City Council’s options regarding the committee, city spokesman Tony Dodero said Wednesday.

The council has already indicated a desire to alter the panel’s makeup.

Council members voted in March to create a 17-member Youth Sports, Open Space & Recreation Advisory Committee to both advise the council on spending money collected under Measure Z and enhance and promote youth sports programs and facilities.

Planning Commissioner Carla Navarro Woods said Monday that she’s concerned the Youth Sports, Open Space & Recreation Advisory Committee “seems like it’s very heavily tilted toward youth sports, and I don’t see a lot of open space representatives.”

For that committee to become the Measure Z committee, the council would have to adopt an ordinance to officially expand the size and scope of the panel called for in the measure.

The council at a later date is expected to consider that — as well as the Planning Commission’s recommendation to establish the fee but not the committee.

luke.money@latimes.com

Twitter @LukeMMoney