Council to review revised trail plan

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA--The City Council is scheduled to review a new trails plan

for Fairview Park today.

The original plan, which called for three miles of paved trails up to

15-feet wide, and more than six miles of unpaved trails up to 8-feet

wide, was revised after residents spoke against it at a public hearing

Aug. 21.

The new plan reduces the widths of proposed unpaved trails to three

feet or less and of paved trails to eight feet or less.

“I think the revised plan presented goes a long way toward meeting the

needs of residents who spoke at the last council meeting and also toward

making [Fairview Park] a true nature park,” Councilman Joe Erickson said.

“It’s a park for all citizens of Costa Mesa to enjoy.”

Councilwoman Libby Cowan, who proposed the downsized trail widths,

said she might consider additional changes to the Fairview Park plans

today.

She said she thinks the downsizing has addressed everybody’s concerns,

however.

“The city has worked 12 years to develop a master plan for the park

and I think it’s important we maintain the integrity of the plan,” Cowan

said. “It’s a very valuable park historically and environmentally, and I

think it’s important that it also be a people-accessible park. I think

the master plan does all that, but as with any master plan, we just have

to tweak it.”

The park’s vernal pools are environmental wonders, she said, and the

park is also one of the richest archeological sites in the county.

The city plans to turn the park--now a grassy field with dirt

trails--into a nature preserve. It has proposed replacing exotic plants

with natural ones, adding parking spaces and paving one of the trails.

Kiho Chang, a Garden Grove resident, said he would like to see more

trees at the park.

“I think more trees would really help because there’s no shaded area

right now and it’s hot,” said Chang, who was flying a radio-controlled

glider at the park Monday.

Jannie Romerez and Francisco Romero, who came to the park Monday to

talk, said they are in favor of bigger, paved trails that would bring

more people to the park.

Jorge Ramos, a Costa Mesa resident riding his bicycle at the park

Monday, said he wants the city to pave some of the trails.

“I think it’s a good idea to improve the park for our kids,” he said.

“Some should be left alone, though, because the kids like to do jumps on

them.”

Ramos said more animal control is needed at the park to protect

children from snakes and unleashed dogs.

Costa Mesa resident Pete Richardson said he would much prefer the

trails be left alone.

“I’d prefer the more natural, unpaved trails myself because I can

still get around on them,” said Richardson, who uses a wheelchair. “I can

cruise around on the dirt, although it’s certainly easier for the chair

on paved trails. Now if they put gravel on the road, that would be bad.

But the dirt trails are fine with me, and probably easier for the

horses.”

In other business, the council will consider appointing residents to a

Fairview Park Friend/Fund-raising Committee.

The committee would give input on the development of the park, as well

as help raise money for the park’s development, Erickson said

. As of press time, 10 people had submitted letters of interest, but

city staff is recommending the council appoint a committee of 13.

FYI:

* What: Regular meeting of the Costa Mesa City Council

* Where: City Hall, 77 Fair Drive

* When: 6:30 p.m. today

* Call: (714) 754-5223.