Reservations Over Costa Mesa’s Motel Row : City Wisely Forms Task Force to Explore Redevelopment on Newport Boulevard

Things have changed along Newport Boulevard in Costa Mesa, and not only because of the completion of the Costa Mesa Freeway extension, which has funneled a lot of traffic heading to the coastline in a way that bypasses established businesses.

The area used to be a prime motel vacation spot for visitors to the waterfront or Disneyland. But today some of the area seems seedy, with growing concerns that many of the motels have turned into rentals, some housing suspected criminals or otherwise having unsafe accommodations. With residential neighborhoods nearby, the area’s stability is especially important for the city.

The City Council has voted to form an advisory task force of local merchants and residents to explore redevelopment and other options for the motel row. The aim, says Councilwoman Sandra L. Genis, is for businesses to be successful, but not for the wrong clientele. That’s a relatively straightforward and simple goal, but one not easy to achieve. However, the city is to be commended for resolving to work toward this end.

The city already is doing a good job cracking down on hotel owners for various violations. The message from the code-enforcement people has been pretty clear: Come up to standards and run a clean shop or be put out of business.

The larger question is what kind of redevelopment there might be, and whether it would be successful. Redevelopment in Costa Mesa has had mixed results, with the most obvious success being the nearby Triangle Square area. Several Orange County cities such as Anaheim and Santa Ana have tackled ambitious redevelopment plans; the question for the Newport Boulevard area will be finding, or maybe even borrowing, some of the right ideas.

The area’s future is up in the air. Motel owners have their concerns, but this should not change the resolve of the city to keep the area up to standard and move forward.