Revitalization of bluffs at Fairview Park enters planning stage

Efforts to revitalize the west bluff of Costa Mesa’s Fairview Park made progress with the selection of a firm to create an action plan for the project at the City Council’s meeting on Tuesday.

A two-year, $533,189 contract was awarded to Psomas for the design, environmental planning and cultural resource management of the west bluffs revitalization project.

“The park provides passive and unique recreational opportunities while serving as a critical open space resource within the city,” according to a report by city staff.

Studies going as far back as the 1990s raised concerns over slope stability and erosion, staff reported. An emergency berm project completed in 2019 partially slowed the degradation of the bluffs’ slope. But, if left unchecked, erosion could lead to long-term risks to trails, park safety and other resources.

“There is significant concern that parts of this bluff could collapse, and that could result in restricting access to these areas,” Councilwoman Arlis Reynolds said. “...Thankfully this isn’t happening and hopefully doesn’t happen where homes are, but we’ve seen bluffs collapsing in Newport Beach, Corona Del Mar and further down the beaches.”

Council members said they were eager to restore the natural feature but wary of the project’s price tag. They emphasized their priority for simple and cost-effective options from Psomas.

“We want simple,” Councilmember Andrea Marr said. “We want sustainable. We want to keep the existing infrastructure in the park. That being said, if it cannot be done [simply] I want to know now. I want to know how much we need to budget in the future… the sooner we can get that point, the better for the community. But I do not want to hold this up.”

Fairview Park sits on 208 acres of open space in west Costa Mesa, along the lower Santa Ana River corridor. It provides critical habitat for a variety of rare and endangered species like the San Diego fairy shrimp, California gnatcatcher and least Bell’s vireo. There are also numerous sites of cultural significance to the Tongva and Acjachemen tribes, the first to inhabit the land before the arrival of Western settlers.

“Due to the presence of protected habitats, sensitive cultural resources and special-status wildlife species, projects within Fairview Park require careful planning, interdisciplinary coordination and compliance with applicable local, state and federal environmental protection regulations,” city staff wrote in their report.

Psomas won out over two other contractors that had also submitted bids for the project. The winning firm has a record of taking on similar projects over its 30 years of business, and it was selected to take on Fairview Park because the company “demonstrated a strong understanding of the site’s environmental complexity,” city staff indicated.

The plan’s intention is to minimize disturbance, restore native plant communities and protect culturally sensitive resources while maintaining access for recreation.

Possible solutions may center on either adding plants to the hillside that will develop a root system to hold the slope together, or the installation of retaining walls. The latter option could possibly require approval from voters due to Measure AA, a local measure requiring potentially impactful construction at Fairview Park to be placed on the ballot.

The entire West Bluffs restoration project should cost the city about $2 million, with more than $530,000 dedicated to planning and outreach and about $1.6 million for construction and landscaping.

Funding for the project came from $10 million allocated in California’s 2022-23 budget by then-Sen. Dave Min (D-Irvine) for Costa Mesa park improvements.

Cynthia McDonald, a Costa Mesa resident offering a public comment via Zoom during Tuesday’s meeting, lamented the degradation of trails and habitats at the bluffs over the years.

“I urge you to get started on this thing,” McDonald said. “Good Lord, this has been many years.”