Development Dominates Race for 2 Costa Mesa Council Seats

As in many of Orange County’s coastal cities, development issues dominate the political rhetoric this campaign season in Costa Mesa, where 13 candidates are fighting for two seats on the City Council in next Tuesday’s election.

The spirited competition in the crowded field of so-called pro- or slow-growth candidates also pits the politically savvy grass-roots Mesa Action against the financial muscle of the Chamber of Commerce and local developers.

Two years ago, Mesa Action, which is the fund-raising and campaign arm of homeowner association presidents known as the Citizens’ Coalition, helped elect slow-growth advocates Dave Wheeler and Mary Hornbuckle. The group hopes that two more of its candidates--Planning Commissioner Joseph Erickson and businessman Douglas Yates--will be elected this time, a possibility that troubles developers.

The development community lost two supporters when Councilwomen Norma Hertzog and Arlene Schafer announced earlier this year that they would not seek reelection. That left the five-member council’s philosophical direction up for grabs, with only incumbent Donn Hall as a vote the business and development community can count on.

Slow-growth candidates are appealing to what they say is homeowners’ unhappiness with traffic congestion and noise in the city of 86,000, promising to promote a small-town atmosphere. Advocates of faster-paced development or balanced growth, on the other hand, say the city cannot turn back the clock, and point to such cultural and economic advances as the Performing Arts Center and South Coast Plaza as examples of Costa Mesa’s vitality.

Here are The candidates:

Orville Amburgey, 51, is a longtime city resident, businessman and retired Costa Mesa police lieutenant. Now that the city has lived down its small-town image, the pro-business and pro-growth candidate said, its challenge is to continue its “big-town thinking” while retaining “a hometown atmosphere.” Amburgey is a Chamber of Commerce director and has received campaign contributions from Harold J. Segerstrom Jr. and employees of the C.J. Segerstrom & Sons development firm.

Nicholas Bartlett, 46, is an investigator for a Santa Ana law firm and is running on a promise to ease traffic congestion, an outgrowth of what he calls Costa Mesa’s “explosion of growth.” Bartlett said he would put more bike paths in the city, favors shuttle buses to the Pacific Amphitheatre and South Coast Plaza shopping area, and supports additional low-cost housing for the elderly. Bartlett did not attend most candidates’ forums or seek endorsements of civic groups, preferring instead to knock on doors and talk to voters.

Peter Buffa, 38, is an independent television producer and a Planning Commission member. The 12-year Costa Mesa resident describes himself as a moderate on development issues, having voted both for and against large projects that have come before him. But Buffa--unlike most of the candidates--argues that development should not be the major issue of the campaign, given the limited amount of land left in the city on which to build. Instead, Buffa argues, the council should turn its attention to improving city services and neighborhoods, as well as addressing the needs of growing Latino and Vietnamese communities. Buffa also has received campaign contributions from the Segerstroms and has been endorsed by outgoing Mayor Hertzog.

Joseph Erickson, 29, is the general manager of a luggage company and a member of the Planning Commission. He is a strong advocate of slow-paced development and was the only commissioner to vote earlier this year against the Segerstroms’ controversial Home Ranch skyscraper proposal, which was later rejected by the council. “Costa Mesa should not be burdened with overdevelopment and traffic,” said Erickson, adding that it is not in the city’s interest to become Orange County’s unofficial downtown. “Neighborhoods have to be protected,” he said. Erickson suggested that other parts of the county should have more skyscrapers and large employment centers, “so not everyone drives here.” Erickson is one of the two slow-growth candidates who have received the endorsement and financial support of Mesa Action.

Sandra Hamilton, 39, is a community college educator who says her past experience in government and business make her a worthy candidate in the race. She is a former business and industry liaison for the City of Boston and is president of a career counseling firm. She listed senior citizens, balanced growth, traffic and increased citizen involvement in government affairs as some of her top priorities. Hamilton is a member of several civic and professional groups, including the Costa Mesa Civic Assn. and Professional Women’s Support Group for Human Options. She has lived in Costa Mesa with her family the last four years and has been endorsed by Councilwoman Hornbuckle.

Bob Hanson, 65, is a retired mechanical engineer and a council appointee to the Traffic Commission. He favors hiring more policemen, especially traffic officers, to combat what he sees as the city’s No. 1 problem: too many cars driving through the neighborhoods. Hanson said the city also needs to focus on its homeless people and crime in parks. He says he is for “quality projects” and endorses neither the slow-growth nor pro-growth factions that have been vocal in this year’s election. Hanson is serving his second term as a director of the Costa Mesa Sanitary District--an elected position--and takes part in several city and county organizations.

Charlene Johnson, 62, is the owner of a local catering business and the wife of former Councilman Eric Johnson, who was defeated in 1984 by a Mesa Action candidate. A Costa Mesa resident and homeowner for 24 years, Johnson said her business background will be valuable in making decisions and dealing with her colleagues on the council. Like many of the 13 candidates, Johnson cites traffic congestion as a major problem. She said she will “carefully scrutinize any commercial development so that it does not affect our quality of life.” Johnson is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Crescendos, a support group for the South Coast Symphony.

Marie Maples, 60, is a retired small business owner who cites the philosophically divided council as a key impediment to city progress. She says she has no desire to be the “biggest politician” and would be a peacemaker if elected. As for city issues, Maples said: “Traffic is a horrendous problem and I do not have a cure. It’s like a terminal illness. It has been here a long time and is going to get worse.” Maples is vice chairman of the Costa Mesa Senior Committee and has lived in the city 27 years. She advocates “creative development and responsible growth.”

Michael Nutter, 36, is an attorney who feels that it is time for the city to change course. “Rapid development hasn’t taken into consideration the impact it would have on city neighborhoods and traffic congestion,” he said. If elected, Nutter said, he would allocate more money to street and sidewalk repairs, would promote slower-paced development and would work to reduce excessive noise from the Pacific Amphitheatre. He said he also favors drug testing of city employees.

Chris Steel, 45, a businessman and five-time candidate, said he would push for a host of government reforms, including the election of council members by neighborhood or district, the direct election of Costa Mesa’s mayor instead of the current appointment process, a limit on campaign contributions and a limit on a council member’s stay in office to two consecutive terms. The 14-year Costa Mesa resident said he is not “anti-growth” but would encourage the building of more single-family residences instead of apartment houses. Costa Mesa renters, who outnumber homeowners 60% to 40%, are the city’s biggest source of traffic, Steel claims. In addition, Steel said, he supports an ethics code for public officials and the “rights of legal residents before illegal aliens.”

Michael Szkaradek, 34, is an accountant and business consultant who has lived in Costa Mesa 11 years. He supports a limit on campaign contributions as well as “innovative approaches to crime suppression such as undercover sting operations, youth drug abuse education and modernized computer systems.” On the development issue, Szkaradek advocates additional residential development but cites past commercial development as too rapid and too intense--the result of which, he says, has been “traffic, noise and skyrocketing rents.” Szkaradek is a self-described “pro-renter “candidate.

Brian Theriot, 29, is a law school graduate and business owner who believes that “business profits and Costa Mesa’s recreational life style must be safeguarded.” On the subject of the city’s illegal aliens, Theriot has urged that “Washington be pressured to enforce the law.” He said that business leaders should support the country’s war against drugs and that he would promote city support for retired citizens and veterans. Theriot is a former track star at Newport Harbor High School and UCLA. As of Oct. 18, he had listed $43,797 in campaign contributions--the most money of any of the 13 candidates. Among the contribution was a $10,000 loan from his wife.

Douglas Yates, 42, is making his second try for a council seat. He came close to winning in 1984 with the backing of Mesa Action. Yates is a vocal opponent of unfettered growth and said the city needs council members “with the courage to limit development so that the traffic mess does not get worse.” The city’s progress, he said, “is not measured by glitzy steel and glass but by how we protect the quality of our lives and the character of our neighborhoods.”