Costa Mesa Mayor Suggests Commercial Site for SOS

Mayor Peter F. Buffa on Friday proposed that the Share Our Selves charity, soon to be ousted from a city-leased facility, move into a commercial building on West MacArthur Boulevard, an alternative that would cost the city more than $177,000 over five years.

The building at 1695 W. MacArthur Blvd. is home to the Community Development Council, a private poverty agency that does not offer direct services to clients.

Under the proposal, the CDC would sublease 4,200 square feet of space on the ground floor of the two-story building to SOS for $1 a year.

The city would pay the balance of the $3,800-a-month rent for three years with SOS gradually assuming financial responsibility.

The City Council earlier this month rejected a similar proposal to help SOS move into a building on Superior Avenue, arguing that the plan was too costly.

This plan is different, Buffa said, because the CDC building would require fewer renovations than the Superior Avenue location.

Buffa said the CDC proposal would also offer the charity more time to purchase and renovate a building of its own.

Officials of SOS, being evicted from its home at the Rea Community Center, announced Thursday that they had received more than $300,000 in contributions and were negotiating to purchase permanent quarters.

Directors said it makes more sense for the City Council to extend the agency’s lease at the Rea center for two to three months rather than have it make two moves.

“I don’t feel the (CDC) move is in the best interests of us or the city,” said SOS founder and executive director Jean Forbath. “We are very pleased that the city is concerned . . . and we will not discount the proposal, but it is still a last alternative.”

SOS leaders will rally today from 2 to 4 p.m. at a park near the Rea center, then proceed to the steps of City Hall and begin a 50-hour fast to protest the agency’s ejection.

The council is scheduled to take up the SOS issue at its Monday meeting. SOS officials say they will ask for an extention at the Rea center, while Buffa will recommend that the council approve the CDC move.

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Editor’s note: SOS is the topic of the Joseph N. Bell column on Page N-1 in the Orange County Life section. Bell’s column was written before Friday’s developments.