Plan for landscaped street median in Fairview Park goes to Costa Mesa council
Driving through Costa Mesa’s Fairview Park and protecting its landscapes will be subjects of discussion during Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
The council is scheduled to consider moving forward with building a landscaped median for Placentia Avenue, which cuts through the 208-acre park.
The landscaping would be placed on Placentia Avenue’s now-bare median between Wilson Street and Adams Avenue. City officials contend the landscaping, in addition to having aesthetic benefits, would deter jaywalkers and slow traffic along the thoroughfare because the road would feel narrower to drivers.
The speed limits — 35 mph and 40 mph — would not change, however.
City officials obtained an $844,200 federal transportation grant to use toward the project’s design and construction. All told, it’s estimated to cost about $1 million, officials said in 2014, when the council approved spending $119,670 toward its design.
An outreach meeting in September 2014 found some support among residents for the median. It is proposed to contain drought-tolerant landscaping including 140 trees and more than 3,000 shrubs, according to a city staff report.
In other action Tuesday, the council will vet a $397,640 contract for biological, maintenance and management services at Fairview Park.
The agreement with Huntington Beach-based Endemic Environmental Services would last 36 months, through May 31, 2020, with an option to extend a year after that.
In coordination with Costa Mesa staff, Endemic would provide reports on Fairview’s wetlands and its grassland and oak tree restoration site. The company also would monitor wildlife and, for 20 hours a week, be on the lookout for park maintenance needs, incidents of vandalism and any non-native plants present in restoration areas.
In addition, the city wants Endemic to conduct seasonal tours of the park and implement the park master plan 10 hours a week by writing grants and establishing new partnerships.
Endemic has experience at Fairview. It was involved in the construction of the Wetlands and Riparian Habitat, which features man-made ponds and streams that filter millions of gallons of urban runoff.
Twitter: @BradleyZint
