Editorial

We’ve heard all the arguments. We’ve listened to the complaints. We’ve

seen what is offered and what is not.

Now, after months of debate and quarreling over the Home Ranch

project, it’s time for us, the City Council and the people of Costa Mesa

to make a decision.

But first let’s review, starting with the arguments against this

project that, if passed by the City Council, would spell the end to the

last bits of lima bean farmland left in the once teeming Segerstrom

family fields.

Here are the highlights:

* Traffic will turn streets into congested nightmares;

* Jobs created by the project will not be high-paying, nor is it

likely Costa Mesa residents will get them;

* The project needs more high-end housing;

* Ikea is not a good fit in Costa Mesa;

* Noise and pollution will increase because of the project;

* The financial benefits to the city are negligible.

First, we want to say that we admire and respect residents who feel

strongly enough to be involved in the process. Their voices need to be

heard, and the council needs to listen.

And, with all due respect, that’s exactly what has happened.

Over the last several years, the city and the Segerstrom development

factions have listened to the residents, addressed the lion share of

their concerns and have presented a project that is good for the city.

It’s because of those efforts and other reasons that we firmly believe

the quality of life issues do not ring true here any longer. Delays will

not make this plan any better.

Will the project increase traffic on city streets? Of course it will.

What development doesn’t?

But let’s be honest, the 93 acres of land we are talking about are not

in the center of town, but far to the northwest edge and a mere walking

distance from the San Diego Freeway. To boot, the Segerstroms have

offered to pony up some $12 million to improve nearby roadways and make

the additional, estimated increase of 1,100 cars in the morning and 2,100

in the evening bearable.

The job issue is also a red herring. Ikea pays its employees a decent

salary and is in no way a minimum-wage operation. After all, it draws

from a high-end clientele. The jobs created by the high-tech Emulex site

would also offer high-end wages.

Indeed, the job creation from this project alone will average about

1,500, no drop in the bucket considering the economic pain now being felt

nationwide.

The call for more high-end homes is also questionable, as Councilwoman

Linda Dixon recently found out. The area is surrounded by commercial

development, railroad tracks and freeways, not exactly the desired locale

for prime real estate.

That leaves us with the benefits.

Any city planner will tell you that the cost to supply fire, water and

police services to housing developments far outweigh the gain in property

tax revenue. Extra homes means less money in city coffers.

With the Home Ranch project’s current plan, the mix of commercial,

industrial and residential is estimated to bring in some $30 million in

revenue over the next 20 years.

We would like to remind Costa Mesa residents, who really should know

this full well, that there are plenty of bad developers out there. The

ones who build piecemeal and patchwork projects without as much as a

second thought to the detriment of the city are a dime a dozen.

Costa Mesa’s pioneer Segerstrom family can hardly be placed in that

class.

These are the same folks who created South Coast Plaza, which brings

in nearly a billion dollars in sales a year (that equals about $9 million

in sales tax revenue to the city), Metro Pointe, the Orange County

Performing Arts Center and South Coast Repertory.

The Segerstroms care deeply about Costa Mesa and continue to

contribute to its future, a fact evidenced by the $2 million earmarked

for Costa Mesa schools should the project go through.

For these reasons, we’ve made our decision and to us, it seems like

the only real one to make. The Home Ranch project is good for Costa Mesa,

good for its citizens and good for the local economy.

We urge the City Council to give this plan the approval it deserves.