Fairground’s tower put on hold for informal talks

The Orange County Fairground’s board of directors decided to postpone moving forward with a controversial sightseeing tower proposed for the grounds, saying they would prefer to have an informal outreach process with the community prior to beginning the formal Environmental Impact Review process.

“What we wanted to do was step back from that formal process today and have a conversation with the community and local stakeholders,” said Senior Vice President Steve Beazley. “Either approach would involve community input, but we thought it might be prudent to go to people on a more informal level, first.”

Beazley said staff had not yet determined when this outreach program would begin.

Residents in nearby neighborhoods have been critical of the proposed tower, which may be several hundred feet in height, saying it would be an eyesore that would invade their privacy. Staff insists that is not the case, and the tower would serve as an eye-catching attraction for visitors.

— Chris Caesar