when officials received some troubling news Newport-Mesa Unified School District — the property owner of the school where the Playhouse has leased a 73-seat theater for a nominal fee since 1984 — recently communicated its plan to terminate the lease after a 90-day notification period Although the warning had been issued in March the news didn’t land until the theater’s board members checked a post office box on April 17 and found the termination letter inside Ja’lil Nelson and Taj Young in a 2023 production of “Clybourne Park” at Costa Mesa Playhouse (Kerrin Piché Serna) The missive indicated the company had until June 29 to vacate the venue meaning officials would have to find a new location to host productions and store its theater seats stage equipment and other property in the interim director of communications and Playhouse board member “We had so many exciting plans built up to celebrate our 60th anniversary — we had a lot going on.” Members and supporters quickly pivoted to advocating for the theater’s survival appearing at an April 22 meeting of Newport-Mesa Unified’s Board of Trustees to plead for a lifeline “We fully understand the needs of the students must come first and we are eternally grateful for the support the school district has provided over the last 40 years,” Playhouse President Mike Brown told trustees we implore you to work with us in good faith moving forward considering any and all avenues to help relieve the burden your decision has placed on our organization The entrance to Costa Mesa Playhouse located on the campus of Newport-Mesa Unified’s Rea Elementary School since 1984 will have to find a new location after the district informed the nonprofit in March it was terminating its lease (Costa Mesa Playhouse) Playhouse Artistic Director Peter Kreder told school board members the group still had two more productions in the 2024/25 season and had invested thousands in next year’s 60th anniversary season including purchasing the rights to multiple productions the nonprofit could be forced to find a new venue paying steep market rates well beyond what the group’s coffers consisting of modest box office receipts and community donations “My only wish is that we get a little more time to conclude our current season and have a graceful transition which will allow us time to fundraise and gain support from the community and patrons so the heartbeat of our theater can continue another 60 years,” he said Kreder said despite a “fantastic relationship” with NMUSD the issue of the building’s usage has come up before — Costa Mesa Playhouse President Mike Brown “We’ve had instances of nearly losing the space — at one point we were told it was going to turn into a computer lab — and now that’s finally come to fruition,” he said. Newport-Mesa Unified spokeswoman Annette Franco explained the decision to terminate its longstanding agreement with the Costa Mesa Playhouse was due to a grade level reconfiguration happening at Rea and Pomona elementary schools. Starting in the fall, Rea will serve students from both schools in grades 2 through 6, while Pomona will be dedicated to youngsters attending preschool through first grade. Actors, from left, Cody Hanify, Mike Brown, Peter Hilton and Sage Delaney in a 2024 production of “Buried Child” at Costa Mesa Playhouse. (Kerrin Piché Serna) “The space is needed to continue to support high-quality academic and enrichment programs, both during and after the school day,” Franco wrote in an April 23 email. “While we value our community partnerships, our lease agreement allows for termination with 90 days’ notice. This allows us to respond to evolving student needs and effectively plan for the upcoming academic year.” Although the district’s actions fall within the terms of the latest two-year lease agreement, which was set to expire in June 2026, Kreder said NMUSD trustees Leah Ersoylu and Michelle Murphy met with theater leaders last Sunday, following the meeting, to learn more about the situation. Costa Mesa Playhouse seeks new home as it gets the hook at school site The Costa Mesa Playhouse is on the lookout for a new home after being told by Newport-Mesa Unified School District officials that the playhouse’s longtime headquarters at Rea Elementary School will be repurposed as a technology learning center. And it seems a glimmer of hope may be on the horizon. A contingent of Playhouse board members met with district officials Tuesday evening and discussed the possibility of extending the move-out date to allow the current season to conclude. Franco confirmed Wednesday Newport-Mesa staff are also considering possible alternative locations on other school grounds that might accommodate Costa Mesa Playhouse productions. Tillman said Wednesday he was cautiously optimistic. “We’re still hopeful there are things to be worked out with the school district,” he said. “In the event we cannot find a space, we will be launching a fundraising campaign and crossing our fingers.” Sara Cardine covers the city of Costa Mesa for the Daily Pilot. She comes from the La Cañada Valley Sun, where she spent six years as the news reporter covering La Cañada Flintridge and recently received a first-place Public Service Journalism award from the California News Publishers Assn. She’s also worked at the Pasadena Weekly, Stockton Record and Lodi-News Sentinel, which instilled in her a love for community news. (714) 966-4627 News Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Last summer, the Los Angeles Chargers opened "The Bolt," the team's new headquarters campus in El Segundo the property that served as the team's base of operations since moving to Los Angeles in 2017 is set to be transformed into a mixed-use complex including housing and commercial space.  which is set to phase the Costa Mesa Planning Commission this year are to include 45 units of affordable housing AO is designing Hive Live which would include three five-story structures wrapping central parking structures The new buildings would be divided by open spaces and driveways and incorporate amenities such as courtyards and swimming pools Construction is poised to commence in January 2026 and be completed over an eight-year period are poised to replace shopping centers with more than 5,000 apartments and commercial uses Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn / Threads / Instagram / Bluesky Print The creator of a homunculus with a bulbous wart-covered snout that has been spooking local kids as part of of a nearly 30-year old Halloween tradition in one Eastside Costa Mesa community died unexpectedly Wednesday along with their children Davis Parker and Josh Hanson have been staging an elaborate display in the yard of their home at the corner of Wilson Street and Westminster Avenue that has come to be known as the Picklenose Halloween House As many as 3,000 people have shown up in their quiet residential neighborhood each Halloween in search of family-friendly jump scares The event gets its name from one of the ghouls that calls the set of the annual horror show home turquoise and lavender-furred gremlin hidden in the display each year who telepathically (via a secret loudspeaker) taunts children from his coffin witches and ghosts that take up residence on his family’s lawn each October “Dale put so much love into our Halloween decorations, aiming to bring spooky laughs to the community,” his wife said in a post on the Picklenose Halloween House Facebook page. “It’s a family event that takes a month to put together.” “Whenever you walked by their home, you could always count on him to say hello,” Reed said. Parker was busy with yardwork Monday when he fell from a ladder, injuring his back, his wife said in a Facebook post. He fell into a coma and then died on Wednesday. He was “surrounded by his loving family” in the hospital in his final moments. Friends created a GoFundMe page shortly after Parker was injured with the intention of covering part of his medical expenses. But now any funds raised will also be used to help support his family as they plan his funeral. Parker’s neighbors have been in shock in the wake of his death. They described him as a beloved, constant fixture in the community and say they can hardly fathom his absence. “You just always knew that if he was out there and on patrol nothing was going to happen to your house,” Reed said. Eric Licas covers Newport Beach for the Daily Pilot. He previously was a crime and public safety reporter and, before that, spent four years as a staff writer with the Orange County Register and the Southern California News Group. He has been on the ground to cover active wildfires, civil unrest and mass shootings. He was born in the Philippines, raised in the San Fernando Valley and is a Cal State Northridge alumnus. Print The western terminus of Costa Mesa’s Gisler Avenue has for years remained untouched — an asphalt road segueing to a pedestrian bridge that spans the concrete channel of the Santa Ana River — and city leaders want it to stay that way But, since the first highway master plans for Orange County were inked in the 1950s, the site has been identified as a place where a potential roadway bridge could link Gisler to Garfield Avenue in Huntington Beach That juncture is one of four Santa Ana River crossings identified in the document — two more at Adams Street and Victoria Avenue have since been constructed while a third connecting Huntington’s Banning Avenue and Costa Mesa’s 19th Street is also being contested but is currently on hold The plan for the bridge system likely made sense when Orange County’s population was booming and homes had not yet filled in the parcels along Gisler Avenue A bicyclist Thursday approaches the end of Costa Mesa’s Gisler Avenue near the Mesa Verde Country Club golf course (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) But today Costa Mesa’s “state streets” neighborhood and California Elementary School to the north and Mesa Verde Country Club to the south make building out the two-lane road a dicey proposition the Mesa Verde golf course and about 20 to 30 homes,” Mayor John Stephens said Thursday It would be brutal for the residents of Mesa Verde.” city leaders have fought since 1991 to have the Garfield-Gisler bridge removed from the Master Plan of Arterial Highways (MPAH) now under the jurisdiction of the Orange County Transportation Authority Joined in their effort by Huntington Beach officials and residents alike have pushed the agency to conduct traffic studies and consider alternative infrastructure improvements that would negate the need for the bridges “It would be brutal for the residents of Mesa Verde.” With the penning of a memorandum of understanding in 2006 the involved parties agreed to implement a series of improvements a few seismic changes to the surrounding area have worked out in the cities’ favor Orange County population forecasts have trended downward while completion of OCTA’s $2.16-billion I-405 Improvement Project in 2023 increased the freeway’s capacity lessening the need for arterial connectors A portion of Costa Mesa’s Gisler Avenue would possibly be destroyed if the county were to enact a plan to connect the two-lane road with the four-lane Garfield Street (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Those changes led the transportation agency to determine that the Garfield-Gisler bridge was no longer necessary “Based on the fact that forecast congestion has not increased in the study area reviewed in this analysis there is no indication of a need for further in‐depth study of the MPAH status of the Garfield-Gisler [right of way] reserve,” a 2025 technical study concluded “It is recommended that the facility be fully removed from the MPAH without significant impacts on traffic or congestion in the area.” Stephens and Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley two longstanding opponents of the bridge proposal serve on OCTA’s Board of Directors as well as a Regional Transportation and Planning Committee that reviews highway programs and makes recommendations to the agency’s board of directors Fountain Valley, which had in previous decades historically supported the Santa Ana River traffic crossings, after Monday’s vote decided to withdraw its letter of support so the matter could be reviewed by its city council, according to Stephens. Once a determination is made at that level, it will be up to the OCTA Board of Directors to decide whether to formally adopt the master plan amendment that would leave the Gisler Avenue terminus as it stands today. Foley said Thursday she was hopeful for a positive outcome. “We can’t exactly have a highway running through our nice residential communities — you’d be taking out schools, homes and beautiful open spaces, the golf course, etc.,” she said. “We’ve been working on this for many decades here in Costa Mesa, and it’s finally time to take this bad idea off the Master Plan of Arterial Highways.” Print A plan to convert a shuttered Costa Mesa motor inn into 46 units of affordable housing for low-income tenants a project that’s been eyed by the city for years will be considered by the Planning Commission in a hearing Monday Formerly the site of the Mesa Motel — located at 2205 Harbor Blvd. between Wilson and Victoria streets — the .58-acre property has been vacant since 2022 But that could change if city planners approve a conditional use permit that would allow the work to begin The proposal is being put forth by Laguna Niguel-based Ahura Investments, LLC, a firm associated with physician Nikan Khatibi, chief executive and medical director of the Ahura Healthcare Corp., which will serve as the owner and property manager of the site. It calls for the motel rooms to be rebuilt into a suite of mostly single-occupancy residences that will include sleeping and living accommodations as well as kitchenettes, complete with a refrigerator, prep area, sink and microwave. The site would also include one manager’s unit. work on Costa Mesa’s first Project Homekey site has begun The first round of tenants — formerly homeless veterans and those at risk of homelessness — could move in by October City leaders have considered the underused parcel as a place that could accommodate affordable housing, going back to at least 2021, when officials sought to acquire rehabilitate and convert Mesa Motel and a Motel 6 on Newport Boulevard through the state’s Project Homekey program While the Motel 6 project was approved for 87 units of permanent supportive housing for at-risk individuals, and subsequently developed at a cost of about $49 million, the Mesa Motel property never moved forward as a Homekey project. Since then, the city has approved, under the program, the conversion of rooms at the Travelodge by Wyndham Orange County Airport/Costa Mesa, at 1400 Bristol St., into 76 studio and one-bedroom apartments, at the cost of about $48 million. The aging and underutilized inn at 1400 Bristol St will offer permanent housing for formerly homeless and at-risk residents Both those projects are funded through a combination of state grants city matching funds and earmarks from the county and other sources Residents of the Mesa Motel complex would qualify as very-low income, earning about 50% of Orange County’s area median income of $127,800 — amounting to about $50,250 for a single individual, according to figures from the California Department of Housing and Community Development Forty-two of the units would be single occupancy, while the other four residences would allow for two occupants. Tenancy would be secured through an annual lease and priority would be given to those living and/or working in Costa Mesa, seniors, veterans and individuals with disabilities, according to a staff report for Monday’s meeting The commercially zoned property contains two existing two-story buildings with a total area of 28,286 square feet The new plan qualifies for a state housing density bonus and does not have to conform to Costa Mesa’s parking standards and includes 27 spaces and one bicycle rack compared to the 42 stalls that would otherwise be required Planning commissioners will consider whether to grant a conditional use permit that would allow the General Business District-zoned parcel to accommodate a use similar to a motel or hotel Monday’s Planning Commission meeting starts at 6 p.m. at Costa Mesa City Hall, 77 Fair Drive. For more, visit costamesaca.gov. Print Costa Mesa officials are considering scaling back on promised public works projects and eliminating unfilled job vacancies to cover a $3.6 million revenue shortfall in this year’s budget as the threat of federal cuts looms on the horizon The fate of several civic positions and programs was considered Tuesday during a council study session during which finance director Carol Molina delivered a mid-year update on the city’s $189.9-million general fund budget Molina said while most sources of income were tracking with assumptions made during the 2024-25 budget adopted last June sales tax revenue was weaker than projected Finance staff anticipated receiving $81.6 million, but current trends suggest by the end of the fiscal year, receipts may total as low as $75.2 million. “This is mostly attributed to slowdowns in consumer goods and in our auto sectors primarily,” Molina said of the $6.4-million gap. Other revenues are slightly stronger than forecast, including the cannabis tax at an additional $100,000, and other smaller streams that will net an additional $400,000, while expenses pencil out $2.8 million lower than budgeted. To cover the $3.6-million deficit, finance staff proposed refinancing $700,000 of the city’s annual street sweeping costs, using gas tax revenue instead of general fund money, and implementing a soft hiring freeze starting April 1, during which nonessential vacancies would be eliminated. For the remaining $2.9 million, Molina offered the council some options. The city could defer an equivalent amount of capital projects slated for this year’s budget, targeting items of lesser importance or ones not yet begun. Some of those projects include $100,000 for butterfly gardens, nearly $1 million in City Hall improvement projects, a $250,000 commitment to improving streets and an HVAC system at the Costa Mesa Senior Center estimated at $725,000. Another option would be drawing from the city’s general fund reserves, which have grown steadily in recent years as income has eclipsed expenditures. Staff on Tuesday shared highlights of the proposed 2024-25 budget, themed “When We All Pull Together,” balanced without drawing from the city’s reserve funds. The city has cached nearly $56.8 million — above a council recommendation to maintain a minimum balance of $55 million — including $9 million of economic reserves intended to address economic instability. While a short-term fix, that could leave the city short in the event the federal government moved ahead with a potential freeze of funding commitments, a Trump administration move paused by a legal challenge. “We may need to tap into these resources to fill in some of the funding gaps that we may experience if we do get federal funding reductions,” Molina warned. She described three major programs that rely on federal funding, including the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnership Program, which together provide nearly $1.4 million in code enforcement staffing, public service grants and capital projects, like a new roof at the Senior Center. The city also receives federal grants for infrastructure projects, street improvements and other active transportation programs, including a pedestrian safety festival. This year’s earmarks total more than $13.4 million. Council members expressed a desire to take a deeper look at the city’s capital improvement project (CIP) list and staffing vacancies to see what’s essential and what might be culled. “The fact is there is a bit of a slowdown of the economy, there is fear of a recession, and so as a city we need to do everything we can to be responsive to that without cutting so deep to the bone that we are unable to provide the things we are known for as a city, the things that make us great,” said Councilwoman Andrea Marr. Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez said he hoped city leaders would use what could be considered a crisis as an opportunity to be more efficient and look at ways to increase revenue. “About 75% of our budget is employees. If we’re seeing positions not be filled, maybe it’s time for us to look at those and say if we need them or don’t need them. [And] there are items on the CIP that no one on the council is championing, because they were from a prior council,” he said. “I look at this as an opportunity for us as Costa Mesa to really look at ourselves and our processes and see how we can tweak things to improve our services.” City staff plan to bring back a prioritized CIP list, along with vacancies and data on city fees that could be raised to reach parity with nearby cities, to future budget talks slated for April and May. Print Costa Mesa is encouraging residents to explore their own backyards neighborhoods and city parks in search of wild animals and plant species they can help catalog Coinciding with Costa Mesa’s annual Earth Day celebration — which takes place at City Hall on April 26 — the four-day challenge asks participants to download the iNaturalist app and then observe and report what they find through photos and notes Those unfamiliar with iNaturalist and how it works are invited to attend a workshop at the city’s Fairview Park on April 19 where they can make observations and help with the restoration of a coastal sage scrub site Started as a casual competition between Los Angeles and San Francisco in 2016, the now-global City Nature Challenge is a friendly contest to see whose citizens can document the greatest number of wild species within a defined time period The event not only inspires people to get out in nature It also tracks wildlife and plant species residing in places that scientists and researchers may not be able to access who plans to participate in this year’s challenge “It has literally been the source of the discovery of new species or finding species that science thought were extinct or lived in places we didn’t think they lived in — and that’s all coming from regular people,” Reynolds said Thursday Of the more than 2.1 million animal species living on the planet, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, more than 500,352 have been recorded by “citizen scientists” through the iNaturalist app, the nonprofit network reports on its website 9,623 observations have been recorded of 1,264 different plant and animal species Costa Mesa sightings can be cataloged in iNaturalist under Orange County where citizens have already signed up and are letting other cities join in the fun An exotic Mandarin duck was one of nine spotted at Costa Mesa’s TeWinkle Park in 2021 Officials are asking residents to join in a City Nature Challenge April 25-28 in which they document plant and animal sightings (File Photo) Fairview Park administrator Kelly Dalton said the smartphone app is an easy and accessible way for people to engage in citizen science and learn about their natural surroundings “We use it when we’re out in the field to document plant species observed along the trails or when we’re determining if [a plant] is native or non-native and needs to be removed,” he said “It’s a great tool — at the snap of your finger you can take a photo and learn more about a species and where it comes from.” Reynolds said Costa Mesa is filled with treasures just waiting to be discovered “Go find nature in your backyard,” she added “You don’t have to go to Yellowstone or Yosemite There’s so much around you on your street — look around you and notice.” Costa Mesa’s Parks & Community Services Department will hold an iNaturalist workshop April 19 The city’s annual Earth Day Festival takes place April 26 A coyote eats a rodent it on the fields of Costa Mesa’s Fairview Park in 2021. (File Photographer) NewsCosta Mesa Sara Cardine Follow Us Print After nearly two years Vox Kitchen & Bar opened at South Coast Plaza on April 7 “We signed the lease two years ago and the project took about a year and [a] half to finish,” said Viet Nguyen The Kei Concepts company includes several popular restaurants like Súp Noodle Bar, Nep Cafe, Kei Coffee House and ROL Hand Roll Bar Most of the restaurants in the Little Saigon-based hospitality group are located in the Fountain Valley and Westminster area The Pan-Asian fusion concept is inspired by Nguyen’s time working as a restaurateur and executive chef in Las Vegas and Los Angeles “I worked all over the country and when I came back to Orange County there was not much of the food scenes I was used to,” said Nguyen Nguyen incorporated Latin American dishes into the Vox menu which also offers egg fried rice and spicy noodles The whole entire time I was working in L.A. that was something that was comforting,” said Nguyen “We would go out and eat Peruvian food at least twice a week.” The menu includes dishes like chifa fried rice — a take on the Chinese Peruvian dish arroz chaufa — made with garlic the spicy green sauce containing aji peppers thick-cut French fries and choice of protein like chicken thigh or filet mignon Vox Kitchen & Bar’s signature Lomo Saltado a take on the Peruvian beef stir fry made with french fries is served at the new Costa Mesa location at South Coast Plaza one of Orange County’s premier shopping destinations is a strategic initiative for Nguyen and his team saltado shaken fries and congee have sold well at Vox in Fountain Valley over the last seven years Nguyen is introducing some new dishes at the Costa Mesa location we actually have a new and updated menu,” Nguyen said “We are planning to launch a few more things on the menu and make it more encompassing.” fish and tender calamari luxuriating in flavorful white wine broth that’s served with ciabatta rolls for dipping is exclusive to South Coast Plaza There is also a children’s menu with options like garlic butter noodles and egg fried rice and Nguyen said the kitchen wants to develop a focus on accommodating diners that may have food allergies or restrictions but now we are getting into more offerings like brown rice gluten-free and some vegan options,” said Nguyen “We think that will be great for everyone who loves to dine out but can’t because of dietary restrictions That is what we are going to focus on for the next few years.” including seating on the patio and at the outer bar which is located near the escalator and where Nguyen said they plan to launch a happy hour Guests can sip cocktails with a Peruvian slant like a lima sour lychee and cucumber or a chifa old fashioned that adds Chinese five-spice and cinnamon to the classic whiskey cocktail Vox Kitchen & Bar is located in the Crate & Barrel wing in the former Mezzet Mediterranean Cuisine spot and joins another exciting new addition refreshing the dining options on the Plaza’s Bear Street side. Japanese brand Ramen Nagi opened just last month and drew long lines over the weekend. Vox’s long-awaited opening is well-timed too, considering Nguyen is needed in Aliso Viejo, where construction is beginning on Vox’s third location at The Commons at Aliso Viejo Town Center. “Trader Joe’s is there, 99 Ranch Market is opening up, Philz Coffee is opening up and Daiso is there, so we will be next door to some great brands,” Nguyen said. Vox Kitchen & Bar is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at South Coast Plaza at 3333 Bear St., Suite 118 in Costa Mesa. Sarah Mosqueda covers Orange County food, art and culture for TimesOC. She most recently worked as a staff writer in Food for the Los Angeles Times. She also has several years of experience in the restaurant industry, including as a proprietor. Mosqueda earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Cal State Fullerton. TimesOC Print As county officials draft a law to ban the sale of nitrous oxide gas in unincorporated Orange County Costa Mesa police are educating residents about the dangers of inhaling laughing gas and citing retailers for improper sales of the substance Police officials in a social media post this week shared photos of gas canisters and chargers seized from two Costa Mesa smoke shops Members of the department’s Special Investigations Unit determined employees had not been selling products in accordance with state laws Although the retail sale of nitrous oxide — used medically for anesthesia and pain relief as well as in certain foods such as canned whipped cream in some meringues — is not prohibited in California its use for recreational purposes is a misdemeanor offense Purveyors who sell nitrous oxide, also called NOX or NOS, are required by law to record all transactions and make them sign a document highlighting the health risks and laws around sales and uses of the product But on Jan. 24, members of Costa Mesa Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit visited five smoke shops where nitrous oxide-related products are sold and found two purveyors out of compliance with the law “Investigators randomly chose five smoke shops to contact,” Fyad wrote in an email “Two had enforcement action for improperly selling nitrous oxide and the other three [had been] closed for a significant amount of time The two stores where citations were issued are located on the 700 block of Baker Street and the the 500 block of W CMPD reported 678 large cylinders and 5,542 small N20 chargers — aka whippets or whip-its — were seized from one location while about 183 large cylinders and 1,048 chargers were taken from the other ranging from mango and fruit punch to blue raspberry and coconut Costa Mesa police reported Tuesday that in addition to the nitrous oxide several local smoke shops’ inventory included other illegal items Detectives with Costa Mesa police’s Special Investigations Unit seized 861 large cylinders and 6,590 N20 cartridges of nitrous oxide from two local smoke shops on Jan (Courtesy of the Costa Mesa Police Department) “Detectives also found several of these businesses were unlawfully selling psilocybin and THC-related products which they also seized and booked into evidence,” CMPD’s post read The seizures come as the Orange County Board of Supervisors earlier this month unanimously supported an ordinance that would ban the sale of nitrous oxide products in unincorporated areas who introduced the ordinance in a first reading by the panel during a Feb said the fact that laughing gas is legally and commonly sold at area smoke shops and liquor stores masks the health risks of ingesting the gas [But] because NOX is sold like a candy bar at a corner store consumers falsely assume ingesting it is safe,” Foley said in a statement after the meeting “Allowing the sale of nitrous oxide at local shops offers zero benefit to consumers A second reading of the proposed ordinance is set for later this month. If approved, the county health officer would be directed to prepare a report and make recommendations on the abuse, use and sales of the substance throughout Orange County and direct county counsel to take legal action as necessary on related matters, according to an agenda report. Print Costa Mesa officials this week rejected a cannabis dispensary planned for a busy Harbor Boulevard retail center after business owners and residents complained there is an over-concentration of pot shops in the neighborhood and called the applicant’s moral character into question A City Council hearing Tuesday played host to a dispute between Keith Scheinberg who owns the Harbor Place shopping center directly south of the site Scheinberg and his colleagues since 2021 have sought to open a 2,400-square-foot Green Mart in the former site of the King of BBQ a restaurant nestled between Harbor Place and a strip mall to the north occupied by various restaurants Scheinberg finally got a chance to appear before the Costa Mesa Planning Commission in a Feb 24 hearing at which commissioners narrowly approved a conditional use permit for the project in a 3-2 vote (with one recusal and one absence) VMA representative Kendra Carney Meher explained to the City Council conducting a de novo review Tuesday that Green Mart was closely situated to a church that hosts youth programs and a nearby apartment complex that qualifies as a residence eligible for a 250-foot buffer spelled out in the city’s retail cannabis ordinance “A compatible and harmonious relationship does not exist between the proposed use and the existing buildings site development and uses on surrounding properties,” Carney Mehr reasoned Others speaking in public comment shared their frustration with what they described as an oversaturation of cannabis shops in the immediate neighborhood Costa Mesa has approved 26 use permits citywide and 13 shops are currently open for business according to a city map displayed at Tuesday’s meeting Jayne Flinn owns a retail center due north of the proposed Green Mart location and has a storied past with the shop’s proprietor (Screenshot by Sara Cardine) Of those four are operating within one-quarter mile of 1912 Harbor Blvd. “What is the appropriate number of dispensaries any one neighborhood should shoulder?” asked a Bernard Street resident who identified herself only as “Kelly.” “Maybe you all five six — I can keep going — dispensaries property owner Flinn cast aspersions on Scheinberg’s character particularly for what she alleged was a “complete disregard for following city rules guidelines and regulations,” which she said she witnessed firsthand She described the two parties as having a turbulent past involving tenancy, ownership and alleged bad behavior, details of which are briefly recounted in public comments submitted for the Feb said he has spent four years and $500,000 trying to open a dispensary in Costa Mesa His proposal was denied by the Costa Mesa City Council Tuesday (Screenshot by Sara Cardine) Flinn said she owned a residential property on Newport Beach’s 32nd Street adjacent to another residence where Scheinberg posed as a tenant and then rented out the unit as a venue for for-pay nightclub parties — promoted under the moniker “GatsbyOC” — and the production of adult films “I am requesting the council tonight deny the [use permit] not because I am confident it is only a matter of time until Costa Mesa finds itself in a battle to remove an unruly and unlawful use or because of a history showing a clear pattern of the applicant’s disregard for local regulations but because you as a council have already determined this is an incompatible use,” Flinn told council members Tuesday Scheinberg acknowledged his historic conflicts with the property owner calling it an “ironic coincidence” that their paths were crossing once more in a similar scenario He said Flinn hired a private investigator to sit outside his personal residence and interview neighbors about his character that’s not me; my Instagram is completely separate,” he said “When they say I’m running a nightclub — it goes to an extreme and an extent that this appellant is willing to go to to lie and kind of defame me at this point Citing the four years he’s complied with the city’s long processes for opening a dispensary and having rented a commercial space throughout the interim Scheinberg urged the council members to uphold the Planning Commission’s approval of Green Mart’s conditional use permit “The council voted for the number of dispensaries that we were allowed to have “To pull the rug out at this point would be unfair I’ve put so much time and effort and money into this I’ve waited — I believe I deserve this opportunity to run a business.” Mayor John Stephens and Councilman Loren Gameros sided with the applicant respectively putting forth and seconding a motion to uphold the Planning Commission’s approval of Green Mart “The carrying costs of these businesses, getting through the process — almost a four-year odyssey — is a lot. It takes personal character and it takes personal capital to go through,” Stephens said. “It’s a bummer that it takes so long to go through the process, but it did, and I think there should be some credit given for that.” But Councilwoman Arlis Reynolds, in a substitute motion, suggested overturning the commission’s approval of the project, finding Green Mart not substantially compatible with surrounding uses and potentially detrimental to public safety and injurious to nearby properties. In addition to being located in a pedestrian priority zone, she said the proposed location fell within several other family-serving businesses and could possibly impede the success of those businesses. Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez acknowledged the area is already too saturated with retail cannabis options. “While I sympathize with the applicant, and I understand the effort they put in, I cannot in good conscience move forward seeing there’s going to be four cannabis shops within a [quarter-mile] radius. For me, that over-concentration is a big factor, and residents spoke to that factor.” Justin Van Schoick, who’s owned Costa Mesa’s first Chick-fil-A on Harbor Boulevard since 2018, invited friends and family members to Thursday’s opening at 1670 Newport Blvd., where one of the restaurant’s bovine mascots made a special appearance. The 44-year-old Laguna Hills resident said he’d been working in construction for two decades and was building stores for Vans’ corporate office in 2013, when a high school friend of his invited him to the grand opening of a Chick-fil-A he was starting in Seal Beach. It was a watershed moment. “I just thought it was the neatest thing,” Van Schoick recalled Thursday. “After that, I had lunch over there about once a month for a good year and a half, and this is where I got sold. I’d never pictured myself running a restaurant but, man, I was impressed with what he was doing there.” His friend was talking with guests, attending service projects and community events where Chick-fil-A was a philanthropic partner and building relationships with team members — it was an appealing picture to Van Schiock, then working long hours and traveling 50% of the time. So, when an opportunity arrived for him to own his own franchise at 3181 Harbor Blvd., he submitted his name and, after a long courtship with the restaurant’s corporate decision makers, was selected. And when he heard Chick-fil-A was eyeing a second location in town, he bid again and won. Franchisee Justin Van Shoick stands next a mural representing life on Newport Boulevard with a nod to his new Chick-fil-A location. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) In celebration of the grand opening, Chick-fil-A’s corporate office donated $25,000 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. The new franchise is also part of the chain’s Shared Table program, which redirects surplus food to local soup kitchens, shelters, food banks and nonprofits in need. Van Schiock has further been given the ability to grant weekly free Chick-fil-A entrées for a year to 100 local heroes making an impact in Costa Mesa. He’s dedicated half of those meals to volunteers at Let’s Be Kind, a local nonprofit started by former Costa Mesa High student Rebekah Robeck and her mom, Cristina. “This is the local ownership model at its best,” he said. While the Newport Boulevard store is his second, Van Schiock said its location and layout is ideal for the kind of community feel he wants to create. “I really want to expand on the hospitality piece for this restaurant,” he said. “I want folks around here to know my dining room is your dining room — use it.” the same year as the cannabis law was crafted following the passage of Measure Q the arts master plan took years to create as public input was sought on how citywide art and cultural events policies and staffing might be developed over a five-year period The document comprised existing events — like a utility box art program and the annual ARTventure — and also called for new commitments such as establishment of the seven-member Arts Commission and creation of a full-time arts specialist hired in 2022 at an annual salary of $120,000 A utility box art wrap program is included in Costa Mesa’s Arts & Culture Master Plan (City of Costa Mesa) Some saw the tax earmark as a shot in the arm for local arts who helped draft the recommendation as part of a council-appointed cannabis ad hoc committee realized it was a good thing to put money behind — here’s a fund to hopefully spur and inspire some investment into public art,” Stephens said Thursday “My view was we’d see some great public art.” with more than $3.3 million in total revenue having so far been generated from the legal sale of marijuana the application of the arts funding is not so visible Parks & Community Services Director Brian Gruner explained during an April 3 Arts Commission meeting the cannabis tax funds were not being accumulated for a special purpose but were going into the city’s general fund from which arts programs and initiatives have historically been covered “Currenlty, the tax revenue coming in is not sufficient to basically fund the arts master plan, so the council has been supplementing additional funds from the general fund to help offset that,” he said. “The council has been very, very supportive of the arts, and they certainly make that a priority to continue the funding, at least for the next fiscal year.” is embarking on its first Arts & Culture Master Plan Total implementation of the five-year plan — which began July 2021 and ends in June 2026 — is estimated to cost $1,941,700 including a projected cost for next fiscal year of $457,300 according to figures provided by Gruner at last week’s commission meeting But given the arts master plan funding constitutes 1/14 of the total cannabis tax taken in the city would have to earn $27,183,800 in revenue from dispensaries for arts and culture programs to be fully funded By contrast, figures provided in the 2024-25 adopted budget show only $420,967 in arts-related cannabis taxes will have been collected by June 30. That the earmark is being returned to the city’s general fund came as a surprise to resident Jim Fitzpatrick, a former planning commissioner-turned-cannabis-consultant who makes frequent appearances at public meetings to decry what he sees as waste and misspending at City Hall. “Measure Q came after the Arts & Culture Master Plan. [The arts tax] was never intended to fund it,” Fitzpatrick said during the Arts Commission meeting. “It was always intended to be incremental, over and above, to do more for the City of the Arts. Now [staff] is saying they’re having to supplement it with the general fund. They’ve got it backwards.” City Finance Director Carol Molina, in the throes of preparing next fiscal year’s budget, deferred questions about the cannabis tax to Costa Mesa spokesman Tony Dodero, who clarified that the city’s intention was that the revenue would be the sole funding source for programs identified in the document. “Ultimately, the money from Measure Q is supposed to totally fund the master plan, but at this point it’s not. And, because of that, for the last three years the city’s been taking money out of the general fund to fund the master plan,” Dodero said Wednesday. Stephens said while that’s not exactly what he envisioned when the council approved the tax set-aside, he doesn’t think of using the general fund to pay for arts programming as a “subsidy.” “My vision was that it would be tangible, that people would be able to see a tangible art piece and trace it back to the cannabis art funds,” the mayor said Thursday. “But it’s still obviously an additional source of funds we didn’t have before. If that allows us to get [an arts specialist], that wasn’t what I was thinking — but I don’t disagree with that.” Print Costa Mesa’s Animal Services Committee has been working on an ordinance that would permit citizens to participate in the humane trapping sterilization and return of feral cats into the areas in which they were found a practice that is currently illegal in the city And in the seven years it’s taken for an ad hoc group to research and draft ordinance language and get the necessary permissions to place the new proposal before the City Council feral cat populations continue to proliferate How much so? One unspayed female cat producing an annual average of three litters with four kittens apiece, half of which live to reach sexual maturity, could result in a net population of 22,908 felines in a seven-year period, according to an online population calculator From left, TJ Kelley and Megan Robison in 2023 attempt to humanely trap a cat from an alleged hoarding situation in Costa Mesa, an act prohibited by the city’s laws. (Susan Hoffman) That soon could change, however, as the committee is scheduled on Wednesday to formally discuss recommending the new policy for approval at the council level say the process helps reduce the number of ownerless cats and their exponential legions of progeny potentially decluttering shelters and reducing the cost burdens associated with their care and treatment The strategy is currently illegal in Costa Mesa where the municipal code prohibits individuals from allowing animals “to stray or run or be at large in or upon any public street or other public place within the city.” Local laws also fail to make a distinction between true ferals and “community cats,” who do not have traditional owners but are commonly recognized and fed by a loose coalition of neighbors known to them. Instead, any cat without an owner is brought to Priceless Pets, a contractor that historically handled pet adoptions for the city and last year became its veterinary services provider. There, they are held for a period of seven days, like any other ward. Priceless Pets owner Lisa Price said Friday while her staff technically have the ability to alter feral cats and release them where they were found, their hands are tied by the city’s laws. An effort by animal activists has been underway since late August to tend to about two dozen feral cats at a property in Costa Mesa but city officials say the animal control department is handling the situation “At this very moment we’re not allowed to release them back into Costa Mesa,” Price said “I know Costa Mesa has such a heart for the animals They’ve been very good and they’re very pro-animal Then you get down to this [law] and you’re like ‘You want me to kill ferals?’ The city stops short right there.” This leaves the contractor with two options — euthanize the cat which costs roughly the same as spaying or neutering Price and her team work with barn cat groups and sanctuaries willing to take on ferals as “mousers,” sometimes in exchange for accepting 10 socialized results in a higher population and even more work for the nonprofit “It’s becoming increasingly difficult because those [groups] are not easy to find and there are only so many animals they can take,” Price said adding that the organization strives not to euthanize healthy animals simply for being feral “But if there’s not someone readily available at that moment Costa Mesa resident Becca Walls serves as vice chair on the Animal Services Committee and has worked on the ad hoc group since 2018 to codify a trap the COVID-19 pandemic and the reassignment in 2023 of Animal Services from the city’s parks department to its police department A lack of data on the effectiveness of trap neuter and return specifically in Costa Mesa made it more complicated to convince city leaders that some kind of law change or program is needed “I know several people who are already doing it, but they’re never going to come forward with the data if it’s illegal,” Walls added, referencing a 2023 cat hoarding incident in Costa Mesa that drew illegal trappers out of the shadows and into conflict with city workers “That incident was so negative for the community and people were so mad it set back the relations we had with Animal [Services],” Walls recalled Before Priceless Pets began in 2024 working to transition feral cats to other communities many were euthanized for behavioral problems “Lisa’s doing everything she can to not let them die,” Walls said of the current situation “Fosters are getting burned out on kittens — these are kittens that shouldn’t have been born in the first place The proposed ordinance aims to legalize the practice by granting Costa Mesa residents a one-year permit, in exchange for agreeing that they will not trespass or enter a private property without permission feral and community cats would be ear-tagged the committee and Animal Services personnel would review the data and see whether a city-sponsored trap return program might be an effective solution in the longer term Price said Friday she heartily agrees with legalizing the practice “Everyone is aware of my stance on that,” she said “This is a huge step in being able to end overpopulation of cats which means an overall less burden on everyone The Costa Mesa Animal Services Committee’s next meeting takes place Wednesday at 5:30 in the Community Room at Costa Mesa City Hall, 77 Fair Drive. a project that would be overseen by a nonprofit housing developer It’s a proposal that’s been wending its way through City Hall for the past several years, but a vision that’s been in the pipeline since 2008, when city leaders first identified a portion of the 2.66-acre parcel, located at 695 W. 19th St., as an ideal place to house people 55 and up. Not only would residents of the complex be able to access programs and services at the center, but they would be in close proximity to transit hubs that could help get them to nearby shopping and amenities. A rendering presented to planning commissioners in 2024 shows 70-units of affordable senior housing being proposed near the city-owned Costa Mesa Senior Center. (Screenshot by Sara Cardine) For those reasons and more, the site has been eyed for potential senior housing since the center opened its doors in 1992 and has been included in various iterations of the housing element section of Costa Mesa’s general plan since 2008. But only now, with Irvine developer Jamboree Housing Corp. at the helm and the funding commitments coming in, is the plan becoming shovel ready. It’s estimated that construction could start in November and wrap by September 2027. Members of the Costa Mesa City Council approved Tuesday, in a 7-0 vote, splitting the Senior Center lot into two separate parcels and a master plan update recognizing the project’s eligibility for a density bonus under state affordable housing laws. The vote also sanctioned a disposition and development agreement, along with an affordable housing agreement and an annual ground lease of $1 for the next 99 years. The city would also defer $700,000 in impact and development fees and provide another $1.5 million in federal housing-related funding now, allowing Jamboree to pay those back as loans. City Atty. Kimberly Hall Barlow explained why the city opted for a ground lease, as opposed to selling the property to a private developer who would build out the project to the city’s specifications. Jamboree’s plan specifies about half the units would be for seniors earning less than 60% of Orange County’s average median income, roughly calculated at $88,400, while the remainder would be for very-low and extremely low-income seniors and those at risk of homelessness. Under a contracted provider, residents could receive case management, mental health counseling, food assistance and enrichment activities Alan Mayeda asks about a housing complex planned for the Costa Mesa Senior Center during a 2024 outreach meeting held at the W. 19th Street site. (File Photo) While a few citizens at Tuesday’s hearing shared concerns about the inconvenience of 22 months of construction activity for seniors at the center, a reduction in parking or even too many parking spaces at the site, affordable housing advocates spoke on the need for more living options for seniors. Former Costa Mesa mayor and now County Supervisor Katrina Foley addressed the council, recalling her early support for including the site in the city’s housing element and reaffirming the county’s investment of $13.5 million in funding and vouchers toward the project. “I voted on having this site be housing at the Senior Center, and 17 years later here we are,” Foley said, sharing that seniors considered to be extremely low income only earn about $33,150 annually. “These are people who are in our community, they’ve invested and they want to stay local, but they cannot afford to live here, so let’s get seniors into the Senior Center housing development. I know the community will be grateful.” Council members roundly approved moving plans forward, acknowledging the many years of outreach, analysis and refinement the proposal underwent. “This project centers seniors in the middle of our community, where they’re going to continue to have opportunities to continue to be involved in our community,” said Councilwoman Arlis Reynolds. “We’ve done a lot of tweaking, but every tweak has made it a little bit better.” City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison agreed. “I’m just really proud of all the work that we’ve all done here collectively — this thing has been in the housing element since 2008 and we got it done,” she said. “It’s been a push to get us here, and this is a fantastic moment.” Costa Mesa Speedway has announced its 2025 schedule Professional Speedway Motorcycle Racing has a long and rich history at the OC Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa Speedway Races have been the most exciting and colorful family entertainment in Southern California Download a pdf of the schedule HERE Costa Mesa Speedway is located on the hassle free OC Fair & Expo Center For more information, visit CostaMesaSpeedway.net In a ceremony outside the Donald Dungan Library, city leaders unveiled a car and an ADA-accessible 10-passenger van (called the Goat), part of a small zero-emission fleet that can be accessed via telephone or smartphone app free of charge to anyone inside the service area during a three-year pilot program. Called Let’s Go Costa Mesa, the offering is funded by a $1.5-million grant from California’s Clean Mobility Options program and available to community members in the city’s west side and College Park neighborhood, south of Joann Street. Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens speaks Friday outside the Donald Dungan Library, near an ADA-accessible van dubbed the Goat. (Courtesy of the city of Costa Mesa) Unlike an Uber or Lyft — which transport passengers anywhere they wish to go — these vehicles have a dedicated team of drivers who take riders to stops within the area surrounding the East 17th Street shopping district, bordered by East 18th Street to the north and East 16th Street to the south. “We’re trying to create some connectivity and independence for seniors and others who are disabled or cannot afford a vehicle,” Mayor John Stephens said after Friday’s event. “This provides mobility for a whole demographic of folks who previously didn’t have it. It’s good for businesses, too, because it brings people into businesses who wouldn’t otherwise be there.” Clean Mobility Options is a statewide initiative that funds zero-emission shared mobility projects aimed at serving under-resourced communities, particularly those that may lack transit options, and individuals who cannot walk to bus stops or other forms of public transportation. City officials applied for the grant in August 2023 and were approved that October. Stephens called Let’s Go Costa Mesa a great “gap filler” in the city’s menu of transportation options. “We have pretty good ridership on bus lines throughout the city. We have a lot of protected bike lanes that we’ve put up in the last couple of years,” he said. “We’re trying to provide different opportunities for people to get around in ways that are environmentally conscious.” The program began with a soft launch last week and is currently operating three vehicles that run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Residents can download the Ride Circuit app through Apple Store or Google Play, or can call the hotline at (949) 828-2065 to schedule a pickup. Drafted to promote “daylighting,” or keeping intersections and places where pedestrians and bicyclists cross streets clear of parked vehicles and the visual obstructions they present, AB 413 gave local jurisdictions the flexibility to implement its mandates in a way that worked for them But in Costa Mesa, that transitional year didn’t happen. Instead, local police — who began citing offenders last month — backtracked, introducing the daylighting legislation in social media posts Monday “To allow residents and commuters time to familiarize themselves with this new law the Traffic Safety Bureau will not begin issuing citations to vehicles parked within 20 feet of a marked or unmarked crosswalk until March 1st,” the posts read The city’s muddled rollout of the statewide mandate came to a head during a City Council meeting Tuesday where street safety advocates including the Costa Mesa resident who helped draft the language of AB 413 attempted to shed daylight on the situation “For over 50 years we’ve known how to make intersections safer, but it’s taken the state making us do it before we started doing it,” said Russell Toler, a planning commissioner and founding member of Costa Mesa Alliance for Better Streets (CMABS) whose brother was hit by a car last week in a crosswalk at Baker Street and Mendoza Drive said pedestrians often contend with cars making right-hand turns on red lights and cutting across traffic to make left-hand turns “It’s an intense environment we’ve created It’s an inhumane environment,” he told the council “We owe them these sorts of easy safety improvements.” said he spoke to the city’s public works director a year ago asking officials to educate citizens on the new law “Have we been giving warnings at all the past year Does Public Works have a plan to implement this with red curbs with bike racks or other things we can do?” he asked Costa Mesa resident Marc Vukcevich a policy director for California nonprofit Streets for All (Courtesy of Marc Vukcevich) “The public is supportive of public safety and pedestrian safety But they want the city to communicate about public safety and about initiatives like this.” By day, Vukcevich is director of state policy for the nonprofit Streets for All, which sponsored AB 413. In fact, the Costa Mesan drafted the language for the bill introduced by Assemblyman Alex Lee (D-San Jose) in February 2023 and signed into law that October. He said Costa Mesa’s haphazard implementation of the law is not unique, adding multiple cities have similarly established March 1 as the period at which they will begin enforcing the mandate. “San Francisco has committed that they’re going to paint every curb, and I’ve seen information from Seal Beach come out on this policy,” Vukcevich said in an interview Thursday. “My biggest concern is, I think, in Costa Mesa the first time they mentioned this policy, after we’d sent them a letter, was maybe a week ago.” Costa Mesa police spokeswoman Roxi Fyad confirmed Thursday officers had, in fact, issued AB 413-related citations since Jan. 1 but could not say how many. She stated any citations issued prior to the “grace period” ending March 1 will be dismissed. City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison assured residents Tuesday that public works and police officials were working together to ensure ticketing does not precede education. “We strongly believe in education before we implement new programs,” she said. “It’s important for everyone to be informed of the new rules.” Print Electrical muscle stimulation workouts are more widespread in Europe than in the United States E20 Training to create a 20-minute workout,” E20 Training co-founder and president Eloiza Tecson said it creates a more time-efficient experience One 20-minute workout using EMS is actually equivalent to anywhere between three to four hours of strength training.” Trainers guide the client through the entire workout president and CEO of the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce perform the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new E20 Training studio in Costa Mesa on Thursday (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) There’s also the recovery element of EMS training which helps those facing certain chronic conditions like back pain Tecson sees her studio’s client base as both young and older “We actually have the chance to be able to work with stroke survivors those that lost perhaps all muscle tissue and muscle mass,” Tecson said “Now we’re able to help rebuild their bones and rebuild their bodies.” E20 Training has operated a pop-up shop in Irvine for the last couple of years but the team is definitely excited about its first brick-and-mortar business So is Katalyst The new E2O Training studio in Costa Mesa on Thursday (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) The suit allows clients to activate up to 90% of their muscle fibers sending the signals directly to the site of the muscle Though some have been skeptical of EMS training, one study conducted in 2021 showed that a group of young women who did low-intensity exercises for six weeks wearing an EMS suit showed improvement in body circumference and cardiovascular function, compared to a group that did the same exercises without an EMS suit. “It’s easy to use but also injury risk free,” Katalyst marketing director Val Ferraro said. “So it can be popular for an athlete, or anyone who can’t lift dumbbells or heavy weights because of an aggravated knee or sore shoulder.” Ferraro said that in Germany, there are literally more EMS studios than there are McDonald’s restaurants — more than 1,700 studios. In the United States, growth has been slower. Co-founder and president Elozia Tecson, Costa Mesa City Council member Jeff Pettis, and co-founder Bob Allison, from left, chat during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for E2O Training studio in Costa Mesa on Thursday. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) “It’s considered a medical grade device, so you have to have FDA clearance,” said Adrianna Gill, Katalyst director of business development. “In Europe, it’s the same as your Dyson hairdryer or your electric toothbrush.” The hope is that studios like the new one in Costa Mesa can help start a wave, Gill said. Tecson certainly believes that can be true. “Today, we’re not just celebrating the opening of a brand-new studio,” she said. “We’re actually celebrating a vision, and it’s a vision to completely redefine the way that we’re experiencing movement, performance and recovery.” Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce officials and City Council member Jeff Pettis, who represents District 6, were also present at Thursday’s ceremony. The studio received certificates from the offices of Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris and state Sen. Steven Choi. Matt Szabo covers the city of Huntington Beach and sports for the Daily Pilot. A Southern California native and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduate, he has been working for L.A. Times Community News since 2006 and still loves talking to people about their hopes and dreams. Print Costa Mesa officials this week approved a nearly $2-million contract with a planning and engineering firm to chart a course toward rezoning numerous commercial industrial and opportunity sites throughout the city to allow for more housing Rezoning is a key element in delivering on a promise made in the city’s Measure K a 2022 initiative that overrides an earlier referendum requiring certain large-scale developments or zone changes be put to a vote of the people It’s also necessary for Costa Mesa to certify its compliance with a state mandate requiring the city plan for the creation of 11,760 new residential units by 2029 the roadmap outlining how that will be done — the housing element portion of the city’s general plan — came due in 2022 Revising the city’s zoning codes and regulations is a daunting process estimated to take up to two years to complete particularly in the city’s planning department two years past the deadline and with the threat of punishment from the state looming including allowing builders with state-compliant projects the right to bypass local laws “There’s a reason why we have to move swiftly on this,” Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez said in a City Council meeting Tuesday. “If we want to have a say in Costa Mesa about the kind of housing we build in the city, we have to take ownership of the fact that the longer we delay implementing this, the longer the risk comes into play.” To fulfill a mandate that Costa Mesa accommodate 11,760 new residential units by 2029 leaders are surveying every possibility before an Oct Council members Tuesday unanimously approved a three-year, $1,850,611 professional services agreement with San Diego County-based firm Dudek to oversee the rezoning process The contract includes an additional 10% contingency and may be extended up to two Dudek planner Catherine Tang Saez assured the council her firm would help the city work swiftly and efficiently to meet its goals The firm aims to prepare the housing element for final certification by November 2026 There’s been an obligation made to the state and our job as consultants is to help the city But residents speaking in public comments urged the city not to run roughshod over the interests of community stakeholders in their haste to rezone the city, particularly when Measure K itself promised a public visioning process would take place. Some expressed their desire for a citizens advisory committee that would inform consultants and city staff of residents’ wishes for certain streets and neighborhoods. “Task force, task force, task force — this is so necessary to build community consensus on this major rezoning of the city,” said resident Richard Huffman. “We’ve delayed so long on getting around to doing any visioning and working on this rezoning that now there’s no time for it. This is just shameful.” Mayor John Stephens expressed a concern there was no formal mention of how Dudek and city staff would engage community members in the rezoning process. “It seems like somebody could criticize us and say we’ve skipped that visioning process that was part of Measure K,” he said. Carrie Tai, the city’s economic and development services director, explained the visioning process was baked into Dudek’s proposal and promised the public would have multiple opportunities to weigh in throughout the two-year process. “This absolutely encompasses the visioning process in a method that accommodates a schedule the city needs to deliver on,” Tai told the council. Councilwoman Andrea Marr said she didn’t feel an advisory group was necessary, but urged city staff to do their best to engage a vast range of stakeholders in meaningful ways. “There are more ways than just a task force to do visioning,” she said. “[But] I do want to make sure we’re doing effective community engagement, that we are asking people what their vision is. This is a huge opportunity to make sure we’re doing what the public wants.” Print The words “Cheapskates Welcome” have been prominently displayed on Side Street Cafe’s front window for decades the scent of freshly brewed coffee and laughter filled its tiny dining room in Costa Mesa Wednesday Three generations of women working at the family-owned business gracefully maneuvered around each other as they delivered plates of fluffy pancakes omelets and other short-order staples to patient regulars often pausing to catch up on fresh gossip and reminisce about how the neighborhood has evolved since the restaurant opened its doors in August of 1992 The latest local development was a tough one to swallow for many longtime patrons even with healthy doses of syrup and butter on the side owner Diane Beach announced the cafe would be closing its doors for good Their last day serving breakfast and lunch will be Sunday “This has always been a place to go,” said Ron Keilwitz a local who has been stopping by Side Street since it opened over 32 years ago “You get a real piece of meat that’s breaded like chicken fried steaks are supposed to be not this mush that they sell ya that they dip in a deep fryer He’s just one of many faithful customers who have gotten to know Beach and the cafe’s staff which include her daughters Kelly Trettin and Christine Costlow Other employees who have been with the restaurant for decades include cook Renee Hernandez and server Annie Hatfield “We’re not just punching in and punching out we know a lot of people who come in here personally and we’ve watched their kids grow up.” Her relatives say working at the restaurant has given them the chance to become closer with their community and form cherished memories But they each have their own professional aspirations outside of the family business and weren’t able to step in for Beach when she decided she wanted to retire about two years ago Beach said she opened the restaurant out of necessity laying tile for about five years when her knees started to give out at the age of 37 She had to make a dramatic pivot in her career in order to support her family I had to find something lucrative enough to keep us housed Owner Diane Beach greets patrons at Side Street Cafe in Costa Mesa Wednesday the business will host its final day of breakfast and lunch service on Sunday (Eric Licas) Beach started taking classes at Orange Coast College to learn how to manage a restaurant and initially planned on working in a corporate establishment after graduating But things changed one night after hosting a dinner party with friends “My friends were going ‘God you’re such a good cook; you should own a restaurant,” Beach said “And I said ‘I’d love to but I don’t have any money.’ And this guy said At the time she was making ends meet by working as a server at what used to be Charlie’s Chili just down the street from where she wound up starting her own business on Newport Boulevard Beach’s employer learned about her plans and fired her With about $25,000 invested by her silent partner Beach scrambled to put together a functioning kitchen She managed to score deals at restaurant auctions by sharing her story and befriending other restaurateurs who mostly opted not to bid against her Side Street Cafe server Kelly Trettin the restaurant will host its final breakfast and lunch service on Sunday (Eric Licas) Side Street Cafe wound up being a hit once it opened They sold out of every item on the menu on its first day of business was when we had to buy a new cash register because the old one couldn’t hold all the money,” she said The relationships her staff have built with her customers were key to the restaurant’s success and Beach said they’ve help build her business in many ways Tradesmen stopping by for a cup of coffee have often taken a moment to troubleshoot a faulty piece of kitchen equipment The cafe’s menus were designed and illustrated at a discount by an artist who used to come by for lunch and noticed they had been using hand-written versions Beach had made herself Side Street Cafe server Christine Costlow (Eric Licas) But it wasn’t always smooth sailing Her first cook had a heart attack the night before their second day in business so Beach filled in while they were in recovery Since Side Street was as much a community meeting space as it was a cafe the pandemic and associated prohibitions on indoor dining put huge strain on an establishment Beach found herself maxing out all her lines of credit in order to keep the business going and found herself asking how much longer she wanted to keep operating the eatery She said she’s going to miss the community she’s been a part of for most of her life but at the age of 72 she’s ready to move on Beach will definitely be coming back to Orange County to visit; by Wednesday an RSVP list circulating during Side Street’s final days had garnered the signatures of about 50 friends interested in joining her for a barbecue later this year officials offered some salient tips for making the project pass local muster The proposal suggests transforming a 2.3-acre parcel zoned for light industrial use into a 38-unit complex of four-story structures with ground-floor work space and garages underneath two floors of living and sleeping quarters all topped with partially shaded rooftop decks Such work is allowed at the site — located at 960 W on the border between Costa Mesa and Newport Beach — thanks to the Mesa West Bluffs Urban Plan a 277-acre overlay area that grants deviations from the city’s development standards in exchange for needed housing projects An aerial view, facing north, shows a 38-unit live-work development planned for Costa Mesa’s 960 W. 16th St. (Screenshot by Sara Cardine) But council members at the June 18 plan screening suggested Newport Beach developer Intracorp do its best to ensure the site incorporates both living and working uses invites pedestrians into welcoming spaces and offers open They expressed skepticism about the size of the work spaces being proposed at the time — roughly 250 square feet “When we start shrinking it to the size of a closet I struggle to think this is anything other than a way of squeezing more density on the site,” Councilwoman Andrea Marr said at the meeting Intracorp vice president of development Rick Puffer took notes and returned to City Hall Monday where he presented an amended plan to the Costa Mesa Planning Commission A concept design presented to the Costa Mesa Planning Commission Monday by Intracorp Homes shows a cul-de-sac in a 38-unit live/work project at 960 W (Screeenshot by Sara Cardine) “We have embraced and utilized each of the comments we received from the City Council It was very positive and fruitful,” he said “And one of the questions they were asking was how quickly could we move this project forward.” individual work spaces would comprise either 304 or 307 square feet a size that would still allow the project to retain roughly 2.7 parking spaces per unit plus guest parking as opposed to the 133 suggested in the Urban Plan Buildings would be separated from one another by 6 feet instead of the 10-foot buffer specified in the overlay in accordance with council’s recommendations business uses and entrances would be more articulated and face outward toward pedestrians walking along 16th Street or on a private internal cul-de-sac in the center of which a California sycamore would be planted “This site plan has been designed to promote the pedestrian connection and to create increased live/work space,” Puffer said Despite hesitations about a lack of open space and, inversely, a sufficient number of parking spaces, commissioners supported the idea of providing more ownership opportunities in Costa Mesa, between apartment rentals and single-family lots. “Costa Mesa is so out of whack with renter versus ownership compared to the rest of the county. So I’m thrilled when there’s an ownership project that comes along and not another high-density apartment complex,” said Commissioner Jon Zich. One local artist described the two paintings, including a 2009 collaboration between globally recognized artists El Mac and RETNA, as “touchstones that immediately identified Costa Mesa, aka City of the Arts.” Newly appointed Rob Dickson — who previously served as a planning commissioner from 2011 to 2017, including when a 10-year-old Mesa West Bluffs Urban Plan was updated in 2016 — said commissioners who approved the overlay “caught a tremendous amount of hell” from residents at the time. But since the pandemic, he acknowledged, work habits and residential uses have made live/work scenarios more desirable for prospective homeowners. “Some people don’t like them, but some people love them, and this is what the code calls for,” Dickson said. “This is the mechanism for both creating housing opportunities and creating increased residential vitality in our industrial area, which was the purpose of these overlay plans in the first place.” The seven commissioners unanimously approved Intracorp’s planning application. Print Church leaders at St Mary Armenian Apostolic Church of Costa Mesa gathered Saturday for a special ceremony to mark the completion of a new assembly hall — the capstone of a campus renovation two decades in the making Named for major benefactors Angela and Aris Stambolian the 8,000-square-foot Stambolian Family Assembly Hall seats more than 300 people and includes a commercial kitchen and a bridal room with a private bath It marks the third and final phase of a massive rebuilding and reconfiguration of the church property and adjacent lots purchased in 2005 and 2014, approved by the Costa Mesa Planning Commission in 2018 and designed by St Mary’s member and architect Aram Bassenian and Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens Saturday at a ceremony for a new assembly hall at St Mary Armenian Apostolic Church of Costa Mesa Mary Armenian Apostolic Church of Costa Mesa) That work began in 2021 and included demolition of a duplex and six-unit apartment building and construction of a 5,300-square-foot educational building with a conference room “[This] represents the culmination of two decades of dedicated hard work and financial support of the faithful,” Mark V chairman of the parish council and the church’s building committee said in a statement ahead of Saturday’s ribbon cutting “The new assembly hall will give parishioners a venue to celebrate couples being wed in holy matrimony and children being baptized in the 1,700-year-old Armenian Christian faith.” Benefactors Angela and Aris Stambolian,from left Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America Mary Parish Council Mark Asdourian and Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday Mary Armenian Apostolic Church of Costa Mesa) Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley and Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens joined with church leaders and dignitaries including His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian The new building incorporates classical Armenian architectural elements on its doors and windows and a wheel of eternity symbolizing time the universe and the eternal nature of life Officials estimate the entire acquisition and building effort cost around $15 million Tickets cost $350 and can be purchased by calling Tony Markarian at (714) 580-7288 or Natalie Balikciyan at (949) 929-6017 Leaders of St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church of Costa Mesa Saturday celebrated the construction of a new assembly hall adjacent to the church’s main property on 22nd Street. (Courtesy of St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church of Costa Mesa) NewsCosta Mesa Sara Cardine Follow Us Print Piecemakers a Costa Mesa Christian-focused store known for selling handmade quilts and offering craft lessons to the public was recently forced to close its doors amid bankruptcy proceedings spurred by a $4.5-million court ruling against the organization An attorney who represented Piecemakers in the original legal dispute confirmed Friday the longstanding country store — located at 1720 Adams Ave The closure is an attempt to garner more than $8 million in reported assets following a 2022 verdict in a case brought by a former member who alleged the Christian commune operated as a cult overtime or rest breaks over a 20-year period The Piecemakers Country Store in Costa Mesa (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Michelle McKinney whose attorneys described her as an adult living with a mental illness later found to have been complicated by a brain tumor claimed in a 2018 lawsuit she earned a weekly allowance of $10 or less even as the group’s leaders collected food stamps in her name and failed to maintain records of her employment In addition to working in the store, McKinney lived in at least one house owned by members of Piecemakers and offered for communal use and residency. A powerful combination of isolation and financial and emotional control prohibited her from leaving, according to the suit filed in Orange County Superior Court on April 2, 2018. During McKinney’s time at Piecemakers, a young daughter who’d accompanied her upon her arrival from Washington state to Costa Mesa in 1997 was allegedly removed from her care by the group, placed with a surrogate and later removed by group leaders, the lawsuit alleges. The suit sought damages not only for two decades of lost wages, overtime and meal periods, but also for dependent adult abuse, intentional infliction of emotional distress and breach of fiduciary duty. Obituaries Dubbed ‘Che Kolasinski’ for her militant anti-government stands she was the driving force behind Costa Mesa’s Piecemakers Country Store After being jailed in a dispute with Orange County health inspectors she began ministering to inmates across California Attorneys further sought to have a judge declare Piecemakers’ 2003 transition from a limited liability corporation to a general partnership ineffective or to have McKinney named as a partner defendants alleged McKinney did not take reasonable steps to avoid or mitigate the alleged damages and brought the lawsuit for the purpose of “harassing defendants and causing them to [expend] unnecessary fees and costs.” “Plaintiff’s claims, if any, resulted from her efforts as a volunteer for nonprofit organizations involved in religious or humanitarian objectives,” their response reads any services performed by the plaintiff were in exchange for aid and sustenance.” Although members of Piecemakers last week declined to be interviewed by the Daily Pilot who represented the group in the original lawsuit maintaining his former clients offered McKinney refuge when she had no other options Peggy Butler sings “The Rose” during a memorial service for Marie Kolasinski at the Piecemakers Country Store on Friday (Scott Smeltzer) Donahue said those in leadership positions at Piecemakers — including founding member Marie Kolasinski and named partners Doug Follette and Brenda Stanfield — did not consider McKinney an employee of Piecemakers She had nowhere else to go and no one to help her,” the attorney said took her off the street and gave her a home But in a verdict issued in August 2022, a jury found otherwise. It determined McKinney was owed $596,983 for economic loss and awarded another $1.74 million for past and future pain and suffering. For outrageous conduct and infliction of emotional distress, Piecemakers was ordered to pay $1.29 million, while Follette and Stanfield were ordered to pay $516,320 and $36,880, respectively. McKinney was also granted attorney’s fees. After the verdict, Piecemakers’ leadership filed an appeal in state court and, in June 2024, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which would allow the group to reorganize but remain operational. California battling Costa Mesa over need for event permits 29 — two days before the Costa Mesa country store was forced to close — a federal court judge converted the filing into a Chapter 7 bankruptcy which calls for a liquidation of a party’s assets Piecemakers is fighting that redesignation as well who is no longer representing the organization according to previous reporting in the Daily Pilot Kathy Ballantyne, center, shows Peggy Barla how to make fabriscapes, or landscapes made out of fabric, during the annual open house at Piecemakers in December 2012. Nearly 30 instructors demonstrated their hand-made crafts. (Scott Smeltzer) Former leader Kolasinski, who led the group until her death from natural causes at age 90 famously spent a week in jail in 2007 for operating the store’s tea room without a permit and resisting inspectors who came to examine the shop who pleaded the group’s case on social media ahead of the Jan 31 store closure and asked for financial assistance “A welcoming refuge from daily stress is under attack. Will some abled people get the word out about this miscarriage of true justice?” Orange County resident Lenore Waring implored in a Jan. 21 YouTube video. “Perhaps even some of those who have contributed to the [Palisades and Eaton] fire victims will recognize this as a different kind of firestorm.” This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Print Costa Mesa city officials were looking to create a comprehensive bicycle safety education program in 2023 when they collaborated with the L.A area nonprofit Walk ‘n Rollers to develop a program for schools and the greater biking community Working together under a $150,000 professional services agreement, the team created a roughly one-year pilot program that would bring bike safety classes to students in about 20 school campuses and offer workshops where adults and kids could sharpen their bike skills and know-how and get free helmets Those offerings, which have already reached thousands, will continue throughout the 2024-25 school year in accordance with the City Council-approved contract But a crucial third component of the plan — the one that will effectively extend the temporary pilot into an ongoing city program — is just beginning to take shape A Smart Cycling Class Saturday at Costa Mesa’s Balearic Community Center will teach the intricacies of bike safety and inform participants how to become a certified cycling instructor (Courtesy of the city of Costa Mesa) A Smart Cycling Class is designed to help those interested in bicycling learn the intricacies of bike safety and about possibly becoming certified cycling instructors through the League of American Bicyclists Costa Mesa’s active transportation coordinator said while anyone of any skill level is welcome to attend the free class the idea is to take the city’s bike education program from something led by an outside nonprofit to a curriculum run by the city and residents “This is basically a train-the-trainers program,” Thomas said Wednesday “We don’t want to say at the end of the school year We want to walk away with something where we can keep going.” Participants of the daylong course will be brought up to speed on the rules of the road enjoy a group ride and learn more about the rise in use of electronic bicycles Students may also complete an optional on-site exam that will allow them to then enroll in one of a series of seminars held by the League of American Bicyclists to become certified League Cycling Instructors (LCIs) capable of participating in future school-based programs and community workshops in Costa Mesa A May 2024 kids bike skills workshop is part of the city of Costa Mesa’s partnership with the nonprofit Walk ‘n Rollers (City of Costa Mesa) Once certified instructors can even come back and help lead future Smart Cycling Classes held by the city “This leads in the direction of getting people trained in the ability to train other people to ride bicycles,” he added “We want LCIs here in the community to keep this program going.” Balearic Community Center is located at 1975 Balearic Drive, in Costa Mesa. To learn more, visit walkmorebikemore.org/costa-mesa. Sergio Arroyo Miralrio was convicted Jan. 29 of a dozen felony counts related to the assaults. The victim came forward to Costa Mesa police in September 2021 when she was 16. She reported the relative had been sexually assaulting her since she was in first grade, prosecutors said in a sentencing brief. Miralrio met her when she was 4, prosecutors said. By third grade the sexual assaults “escalated” to intercourse, prosecutors said. She estimated it happened more than 20 times, prosecutors said. The girl tried to tell her mother about it in seventh grade, but her mother didn’t believe her, prosecutors said. She kept quiet until she was 16 and told her aunt about it to “explain her recent behavior,” and the aunt took her to the police, prosecutors said. Several weeks later the girl’s mother contacted police to tell them she recorded an incriminating conversation with the defendant, prosecutors said. “She told him he didn’t need to lie anymore and used a ruse that she had a video of the defendant” and the victim, prosecutors said. “The defendant admitted that he began touching [the victim] when she was 4 years old,’’ prosecutors said. The victim’s mother then had him call his parents, sister and the girl to apologize and recorded the call on her phone, prosecutors said. When police went to question him the defendant admitted his crimes, prosecutors said. “He admitted that his porn addiction caused him to develop an attraction to [the victim] and he would fantasize about taking advantage of her,’’ prosecutors said. During the trial Miralrio testified that he lied to the detective to “spare” the victim, prosecutors said. He testified that the two had a consensual sexual relationship, prosecutors said. City News Service is the nation’s largest regional wire service and is headquartered in Los Angeles. Officials Friday announced contractor Tovey/Shultz Construction, Inc. had mobilized near the Donald Dungan Library and Norma Hertzog Community Center, which respectively opened to the public in 2019 and 2021 after a years-long renovation and reconfiguration of the area. Public Works Director Raja Sethurman said Friday while the café was part of the first building phase, lack of a funding source put plans on the back burner. Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens cuts the ribbon during a July 2021 ceremony for the Norma Hertzog Community Center opening. (File Photo) “The café was already designed as part of that project,” he said. “[But] it was excluded from that original Phase I because we didn’t know about the funding.” A complete rebuild of the Lions Park playground, also known as Airplane Park, coincided with the unveiling of the community center in 2021 and constituted the second phase of the city’s Lions Park projects. It wasn’t until 2022, when the city received a $1.2 million allocation from Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley that the café concept was reawakened. By that time, its estimated total cost had risen from about $1.4 million to $2.3 million. In the year that followed, public works officials executed a contract with Culver City’s Johnson Favaro, the same architectural firm that designed the library and community center, for the design of an 1,100-square-foot building large enough to accommodate food preparation and storage areas along with a staff restroom and other ancillary spaces. County Supervisor Katrina Foley earmarked funds from a federal American Rescue Plan Act allocation to help complete two projects that have been on the city’s wish list for years the space will offer snacks and beverages to walk-up customers through a service counter operated by a contracted concessionaire wood decking and perimeter seating adjacent to the city’s Downtown Recreation Center the final outstanding project in the city’s grand vision for the Lions Park area “We wanted it to be a very active space for the community,” he said “The Lions Park playground has been very well regarded as a high-quality playing area for kids and is being used really well by our community and people from the outside The community center is being used for many [This] will be the last piece of the puzzle.” the café could potentially be open for business by fall of 2025 Children and adults enjoy the new playground at Costa Mesa Lions Park in 2021. The area underwent a series of renovations that will conclude upon completion of a new café next year. (File Photo) NewsCosta Mesa Sara Cardine Follow Us Print Since Costa Mesa began drafting local laws in 2014 to regulate sober living homes putting down stakes in residential neighborhoods the city has been the target of numerous lawsuits that have been litigated in federal courts Operators have alleged the crackdown on residences where addicts live and convalesce — through the implementation of permitting requirements and a 650-foot buffer between businesses — discriminates against those whose substance abuse constitutes a disability 2024An earlier version of this story misstated the number of states within the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals’ jurisdiction Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens estimated Thursday responding to legal challenges and defending local statutes The front-most house on a five-residence lot at 115 E has served as a sober living facility called Ohio House Operators have been in a legal dispute with the city since 2019 (Google Maps) But while business proprietors claim discrimination the nation’s top legal minds take a different view Multiple rulings in Costa Mesa’s favor have found municipalities have the right to enact laws to preserve the character of neighborhoods and address the noise traffic and parking impacts of group homes when a panel of judges with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion in a dispute between the city of Costa Mesa and operators of the Ohio House a sober living facility serving about 45 residents at 115 E Affirming previous decisions by a federal court judge and a jury the panel contended that the city was within its right to create and enforce regulations around the operation of group homes “Whether the residents of high-density group-living facilities are disabled or not does not inherently dictate whether such facilities will contribute to higher traffic lack of sufficient parking or increased noise,” they reasoned in a 69-page opinion released Wednesday “There is sufficient evidence adequate to support the jury’s conclusion that the city did not unlawfully interfere with Ohio House’s right to provide housing for disabled individuals.” Costa Mesa city leaders lauded the opinion “The 9th Circuit is the highest federal court in the land in [several] states and it becomes a very persuasive authority for state courts,” Stephens said Thursday we basically got approval on how we’ve handled this and how our ordinances are crafted News Costa Mesa planning commissioners voted unanimously Monday to reject a sober-living operator’s petition for relief from a city permitting requirement. Since 2012, Ohio House has offered housing for men in substance-abuse recovery on a property comprising five 2,400-square-foot, two-story detached units with outdoor space, a garage and parking area. When the city drafted rules for group homes and boarding houses, officials sought to apply those laws to sober living homes already doing business, requiring them to get the necessary permits. But the operators of Ohio House were denied a use permit because there was already a legal sober living home within 550 feet of the property line. When they sought a reasonable accommodation waiver of the distance requirement, that too was denied. Appeals were denied by the Costa Mesa Planning Commission and the City Council, the latter of which in August 2019 gave Ohio House until Sept. 18 to cease operations. Instead, on Sept. 6, 2019, the operator filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court’s Central District, alleging city laws discriminated against group homes serving addicts with disabilities, created barriers to minority housing and interfered with federal and state fair housing laws, among other claims. “As a group, the city’s policy-makers … conspired for the purpose of depriving, either directly or indirectly, a class of person, identified as disabled persons in recovery, of the equal protection of the laws,” the 2019 complaint reads. A 2022 summary judgment from U.S. District Court Judge James V. Selna, along with a subsequent determination by a jury, denied Ohio House operators’ claims of discrimination and in favor of Costa Mesa’s ordinances. The 9th Circuit opinion issued Wednesday affirms those actions, a move praised by Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, a former mayor of Costa Mesa, who called it “a great day for the rule of law.” “The message from the Ninth Circuit is clear: local governments have the right to regulate recovery residences,” Foley said in a statement, castigating sober living home operators for posing risks to their clients and the community. “We look to the future for state legislation that will give further tools to local governments to reasonably regulate the industry.” First elected to the Costa Mesa City Council in 2016, Stephens described how sober living houses, incentivized by state and federal compensation policies, accounted for about 300 separate businesses inside city limits. Officials worked tirelessly to draft an ordinance that would balance the needs of people recovering from substance abuse, while addressing impacts to neighborhoods, he said. “We were all on the same page, knowing this regulatory framework we put together was serving the people who needed to get well and serving the neighbors,” Stephens added. “The only people it adversely affected were those who wanted to profit off of people suffering addiction in Costa Mesa.” City officials confirmed Wednesday Ohio House has continued to operate throughout the legal battle but indicated once a federal court ruling was final, the sober living home would be forced to close. 2024: An earlier version of this story misstated the number of states within the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals’ jurisdiction In fact, even the animals at the center’s Centennial Farm get to show what they do — including goat milking demonstrations, weavers and spinners displaying different types of animal fibers and an exhibit highlighting hens. A goat-milking demonstration was part of the 2023 Imaginology event. (Susan Hoffman) At the heart of Imaginology, which launched as Youth Expo in 1989 and was renamed in 2014, is offering STEAM education and hands-on learning from a diverse range of exhibitors, bolstered by youth competitions, demonstrations and entertainment. This year’s event takes place Saturday and Sunday, April 12-13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa. Admission is free and parking is $12. A child, attempts to form a bubble over the head of his classmate at the Bubble Mania station during the 2018 Imaginology at the OC Fair & Event Center. (File Photo) “We want to have an educational fair or festival that shows kids all of the different possibilities that land within the STEM or STEAM framework,” said Johanna Svensson, director of Exhibits and Education. She said those particular disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math can seem scary to a lot of people. So having children interact with microscopes, for example, or practicing coding skills can help make these subjects less intimidating. “We have an organization called the Hack Club that’s coming and so [children] can see how fun it is to do some of these things on kind of a project level and what it takes to design something that comes alive in some sense,” she said. “Be it a robot or just being able to code something on one side of the screen and seeing an animation, for example, come out of that. So yeah, it’s an opportunity for kids to see all of the different pathways that exist.” Competitions are a big part of Imaginology. Though the competitions deadline for online entry has passed, guests can see the projects on display — including murals, cardboard engineering and poster art incorporating STEAM themes. There are also 4-H competitions where local youth are judged on ability to raise small livestock, understanding of animal and veterinary sciences, and their projects. Svensson said Megan the Bubbleologist will be performing with bubbles and music, and Zany Zoe will be roaming the grounds with her magic show. Kids create clay fossils during a recent Imaginology at the OC Fair and Events Center. (Susan Hoffman) “Clay Play is in one of our exhibit buildings and kids will be able to make little sculptures with clay,” Svensson said. “That’s always a huge hit.” The Orange County Scroll Saw Assn. is a returning organization. “And they’re always a big hit because kids get to learn how to use a scroll saw, which sounds really dangerous, but they teach them how to do it,” she said. “It’s using a piece of wood, but you’re able to kind of manipulate the wood so you can make a design.” An Imaginolgy attendee feeds a Painted Lady butterfly. (File Photo) Whether it’s farm animals, robots or playing with clay, it all comes back to the importance of educating future generations about STEAM. Jessica Peralta is a contributor to TimesOC. Print Sidestepping aspersions cast on the integrity of Orange County’s electoral process the Costa Mesa City Council Thursday certified the results of the November election swearing in two incumbents and two newcomers while celebrating two others leaving the dais associates and residents for reelecting them into office “I want to thank constituents for having faith in me to represent them,” said Gameros “I look forward to being there for each and every one of you through thick and thin Loren Gameros hugs cousin Chris Taylor after being sworn into a second term on the Costa Mesa City Council Thursday (James Carbone) Mike Buley and Jeff Pettis took the oaths of office to serve the city’s 1st and 6th council districts taking up the mantles of outgoing members Don Harper who came up 83 votes short of a second term reflecting on often being the lone voice on a largely Democratic council and expressed gratitude to city staff for their hard work and dedication Harlan said he was proud to have run a “positive “This is probably the last place that I want to be tonight,” he said I’m not going anywhere — I will continue to serve in whatever capacity I can and I am ever grateful to this community.” Mayor John Stephens, right, hugs outgoing Mayor Pro Tem Jeffrey Harlan Thursday during a reorganizational meeting of the Costa Mesa City Council. (James Carbone) The ceremonies and remarks followed a volley of accusations delivered in public comments by Stephens’ mayoral competitor James Peters and a handful of speakers who demanded Costa Mesa’s election results be overturned Peters claimed a software glitch counted ballots that had been marked as having bad signatures and suggested that during a Nov 8 bomb scare at the county registrar’s Santa Ana office vote trends changed after two white vans dropped off ballots and it is violating all of our state laws and federal laws,” he said “To certify a false election is a federal crime and you know that Trump is coming into office Mike Buley is sworn into the Costa Mesa City Council during a special meeting Thursday after winning the race for a contested seat in District 1 (James Carbone) Still other speakers apologized for such comments and extended a welcome to both the returning and incoming council members endorsed by the Republican Party of Orange County thanked his family for their support in the campaign and said he planned to conduct himself with honesty and integrity after he unsuccessfully ran against Harlan in 2020 he began to carefully study the city and its inner workings I came to the meetings and I came to understand how it works,” he said “And that’s something I wouldn’t trade in for anything.” Stephens praised the city and the continuing work of its leaders “We approach this thing with good will and a good heart We’re trying to do what’s best for the community and will continue to do it,” he said “And it’s the honor of my life to preside over this city and be the mayor Also during Thursday’s reorganizational meeting panelists selected 4th District Councilman Manuel Chavez to serve as the city’s next mayor pro tem Jeff Pettis poses with his family after being sworn into the Costa Mesa City Council at a reorganizational meeting Thursday. (James Carbone) NewsCosta Mesa Sara Cardine Follow Us full-service agency and research consultancy that drives transformational growth through the power of human-centered marketing will be relocating its headquarters from Laguna Hills to Costa Mesa The move comes as part of Bastion's ongoing expansion and strategic growth further cementing its position as an industry leader in delivering high-impact solutions across various sectors located in the heart of Costa Mesa’s vibrant South Coast business district offers a modern workspace designed to foster collaboration and creativity to support Bastion’s rapidly expanding team and client base “As we enter a new chapter of growth with our expanding client roster our relocation to Costa Mesa positions us to better serve our clients while providing our team with an inspiring and innovative environment,” said Jeff Browe “We are excited to be a part of Costa Mesa’s diverse and thriving business community that aligns with our company’s vision for the future and we are excited to be a part of this dynamic city,” Browe added Bastion’s move to Costa Mesa will enable the company to strengthen its capabilities in brand management and serving clients through data-driven insights Bastion’s expanded presence will also enhance its ability to attract top talent Bastion’s human-centered approach will be at the core of the agency’s continued efforts to attract top talent and empower clients to achieve transformational growth The move signals an exciting future where the agency will continue to craft meaningful experiences using human-insight to drive actionable results Bastion’s new address is:611 Anton Blvd.Suite 380Costa Mesa Stationing themselves in front of the Tesla showroom and service center on Pullman Street, the loosely knit group calling themselves the Grandma Brigade were there “as part of the global effort to stop the Musk takeover,” according to organizer Debbie Marsteller. “We want people supporting Tesla [one of Musk’s companies] to know they’re supporting an authoritarian takeover of democracy, she said. “We’re going to have to do something while we still can, even as our rights are slowly pulled away.” The retired 70-year-old Costa Mesan said the Grandma Brigade, comprised of like-minded local residents who are roughly between the ages of 50 and 80, is just getting started. Members of her group have the time and resources to put up a fight, she said, and feel the responsibility to do so. Although many members of the Grandma Brigade have been active in politics since they were teens, Saturday’s protest was their first foray as a group. But it won’t be their last; they are in it “for the duration,” Marsteller said. “We’ve spoken out, we’ve had marches. Now we have to really go after the economy of Elon Musk. That’s all he cares about. Trump and Musk don’t care about us. They are here to fleece us,” she said, adding her group is concerned the cuts being made by DOGE will impact the most vulnerable populations first. “We’re joining together with different progressive groups in our area. We haven’t moved to civil disobedience yet, but we probably will eventually.” Print With the new year in full swing those who’ve set personal goals for 2025 may want to take a page from the playbook of Costa Mesa resident Jason Wallis The 53-year-old professional photographer and father of two set a goal some months ago to become conversant in Spanish by the end of 2024 just in time for an annual family trip to New Zealand His father William — now 88 years old and living in the city of Auckland New Zealand — had been raised by a mother of Mexican heritage who’d known very little English when she’d met and married Wallis’ grandfather The pair traveled the world together and lived in Venezuela for a time Although his father is able to speak Spanish fluently Wallis had never learned enough of the language to carry on a conversation with him Costa Mesa resident Nadia Flores began teaching Spanish and other subjects during the pandemic she is the owner of Viva Kids Learning and also teaches adults (Courtesy of Nadia Flores) “I’ve felt like it’s part of my heritage and I really should do it,” Wallis said in a thick New Zealand accent that bespeaks the many years he lived there before moving to the U.S for a job at 25 and later marrying his wife it would be wonderful to try to communicate with my father in that way.” Wallis roughly calculated how much Spanish he could acquire by the family’s December trip if he practiced one hour a day and then got to work a local resident who’d taken up tutoring kids after being laid off from her job with the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce during the pandemic A native Spanish speaker from Guatemala, Flores is today the owner of Viva Kids Learning where she teaches personalized language and math lessons primarily to elementary and secondary school students as well as adults learning English as a second language Among the young clientele she took on during the pandemic were Wallis’ two sons. So, when he asked her for weekly Spanish lessons for himself, she happily obliged and even found a series of courses on YouTube called “LearnCraft Spanish,” which employs a grammar-first approach, for him to supplement the lessons. “He’s so determined and motivated,” Flores said Tuesday. “He’d meet me once a week and then do five hours on his own studying Spanish through YouTube videos. It’s kind of been like this dream, this goal he came up with — that’s so cool.” Speaking from New Zealand, Wallis estimated he has achieved about an 80% grasp on conversational Spanish, just a tiny bit behind the goal he’d set for himself this summer. “I’ve got nothing to lose, so I try to talk to people in Spanish. And if I don’t know a word in Spanish, I’ll slip out an English word,” he said of his approach. After finally having had conversations in Spanish with his father, albeit basic ones, Wallis said it’s been amazing to see how, together, they are able to communicate on an entirely different level. One day, while driving to the beach and scrambling to remember the word for “both,” he simply said “los dos,” thinking he was piecing it together and his father confirmed he’d gotten it right. “That was kind of a cool moment, because he was comprehending what I was saying,” he recalled. “Even though he’s lived in New Zealand for 45 years, he still can speak Spanish.” Learning a new language in his 50s isn’t the Costa Mesa resident’s first attempt at living outside his comfort zone. At 48, he decided to learn the martial art jujitsu, eventually earned his purple belt and joined a competitive team of mostly young men. It was a pivotal moment in his life. “That made me understand you can learn and progress when you’re older,” he said. “I realized if I can do that, sure I can [apply] the same method in Spanish, where you just show up for an hour a day.” Now, Wallis has a new aspiration — to become a fluent Spanish speaker in three years. Flores is confident that, with the same dedication, her pupil will surely meet that goal. “Things that are worth it take time,” she said, recalling the added challenges many of her adult students endure learning a new language. “It takes a lot of work, a lot of commitment and tenacity. But if you want it, you can achieve it.” Nelson Anibal Saavedra is charged with a dozen felony counts of sexual assaults of the two girls. He is accused of molesting the girls from 2015 through 2022. His trial got underway this week at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana. The oldest girl has alleged she was assaulted starting when she was 6 until she was 12 years old when a classmate “nearly dragged” her to their principal’s office to report the alleged abuse, Deputy Dist. Atty. AlyssaMarie Staudinger said. The victim’s sister said she was first assaulted once in second grade when she 7 or 8, Staudinger said. Their mother was a young mom, who gave birth to one daughter when she was 17 and the other when she was 19, the prosecutor said. Their biological father was “not in the picture” and was living in Mexico, Staudinger said. The victims’ mother began dating the defendant when she was 23 while he lived in the Los Angeles area and she lived in Costa Mesa with other relatives, Staudinger said. One of the girls said she was in bed sleeping when the defendant first sexually assaulted her and told her not to tell anyone, Staudinger said. “She doesn’t tell for years,” the prosecutor said. “She doesn’t tell her mom or her sister.” Saavedra told her sister when she was in second grade to “turn around,” so she excitedly thought she was about to get a gift, Staudinger said. When it became apparent she was being assaulted, she said she had to goto the bathroom and the defendant let her go, Staudinger alleged. The girl did not tell anyone right away, but a couple of days later confided in her sister, who was “very protective” of her younger sibling, Staudinger said. The older girl “decided it was time to tell their mother,” Staudinger said. Their mother, however, did not go to police, but, instead, “interrogated” her daughters and then drove to Los Angeles to confront the defendant, Staudinger said. The girls’ mother, on the way home, told her daughters the defendant was “sorry,” and promised he wouldn’t “do it again,” the prosecutor said. “The abuse stopped for a year,” Staudinger said. Saavedra resumed molesting the older sister and then molested the other girl while they lived in Costa Mesa, Staudinger said. “The typical pattern it falls into is when they went to sleep,” the prosecutor said. As the older girl resisted him, he would “use more physical force on her” as she got older, Staudinger said. When the older girl was in seventh grade, she told an eighth-grade boy in her drama class about the abuse in December 2021, Staudinger said. Over the next four to five months, her classmate prodded her to tell someone, but she was discouraged and felt no one would believe her, Staudinger said. At some point, the boy “nearly dragged her to the principal’s office,” to report the allegations, Staudinger said. When police went to question Saavedra at his job at a fast food restaurant in Newport Beach, he told them the older girl was “sexually aggressive” and came on to him, but he pushed her away, Staudinger said. Healso told investigators he hugged the sister once while aroused, Staudinger said. Bobby Shui of the Orange County public defender’s office said his client and the mother of the girls worked together at the fast food restaurant. The two lived in a crowded house and worked the same shift so there were no opportunities to commit the attacks, Shui said. The defense attorney said the older accuser is “non-binary” and uses the pronouns “they” and “them.” She is into anime and her theater class, and the other girl “admits she has anger issues,” Shui said. The older accuser, who is now 15, bonded with her classmate over anime and Shui added that he “watches a lot of crime shows” on TV. The older victim’s classmate and her mother encouraged her to get a rape kit analysis at a hospital, but she refused, Shui said. The case relies on “unreliable witness testimony,” Shui said. “At the end of this case, nothing’s going to add up.” Travel Costa Mesa presents date ideas—both classic and out-of-the-ordinary options—for romantic partners 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Travel Costa Mesa highlights the myriad of ways to celebrate Valentine's Day in Costa Mesa inviting travelers and locals alike to celebrate love and enjoy seasonal dining in the foodie-favorite city Costa Mesa is the gateway for travel through Southern California Inspired Art Wine pairs the arts with fine wine as well as wine-focused sessions where you can learn about tasting profiles and create custom labels they are hosting a painting class featuring the scene "London Walk." Seats are limited Inspired Art Wine https://inspiredartwine.com/ 1500 Adams Ave Create a Custom Charm Necklace at Balboa Gold head to Balboa Gold inside SOCO & the OC Mix to design a custom charm necklace or bracelet Choose from a selection of meaningful charms and gemstones to match your personal style Book a permanent jewelry appointment to make it official with a forever bracelet Balboa Gold https://balboagold.com/ 3313 Hyland Avenue #A2 Climb Together & Conquer Together at Rockreation Whether you're an experienced climber or just starting out Rockreation offers classes tailored to individual fitness goals They also have private sessions and options available for groups Rockreation https://www.rockreation.com/ 1300 Logan Avenue celebrate Valentine's Day with a decadent 4-course prix-fixe meal at Silver Trumpet enjoy the comfortable weather with a stroll to Segerstrom Center for the Arts for Pink Martini presented by Pacific Symphony Pops Silver Trumpet Restaurant and Bar https://www.silvertrumpetrestaurant.com/ 3350 Avenue of the Arts Color Me Mine invites friends and families to pick up a paintbrush and let your creativity flow they are offering a special evening of ceramic painting where your masterpieces are yours to keep Color Me Mine https://costamesa.colormemine.com/ 949 South Coast Dr Knife Pleat: Treat your date to a Michelin-starred experience at Knife Pleat with a French six-course tasting menu available on Valentine's Day and February 15 Descanso: Taste Descanso's prix-fixe menu for two Sevilla: Enjoy live Latin music and Spanish cuisine with their four-course menu featuring dishes like warm goat cheese dip and orange tart with raspberry meringue for dessert The Country Club: Experience a four-course meal with live jazz plus options for wine pairings and themed craft cocktails Shop for Valentine's Day gifts at South Coast Plaza Grab a complimentary rose and stop by Laderach for artisanal chocolates South Coast Plaza https://www.southcoastplaza.com/ 3333 Bristol Street The Orange County Museum of Art is an ideal spot for a memorable date night New exhibitions include Su Yu-Xin's exploration of how pigments and color are extracted from the earth OCMA https://ocma.art/ 3333 Avenue of the Arts Spice things up with a Salsa & Bachata dance class at Café Sevilla No reservations required—just bring your dance partner and some comfy shoes Café Sevilla https://www.cafesevilla.com/ 1870 Harbor Blvd Axe Your Ex at Slashers Axe Throwing & Ales Break free from Valentine's clichés and axe your ex at Slashers Axe Throwing & Ales Bring a printed or digital picture of your ex and let out your frustrations by throwing some axes Enjoy their wide selection of craft beers during the experience Slashers Axe Throwing & Ales https://slashersoc.com/ 1941 Newport Blvd Take a Wheel Throwing Class at ARTime Barro take a wheel-throwing class at ARTime Barro Learn core techniques for using a pottery wheel with lessons for all levels given by lifelong ceramic experts ARTime Barro https://www.artimebarro.com/ 2944 Randolph Ave Unit C & D The spa and lounge is also offering a limited edition Valentine's Day gift set Facial Lounge https://faciallounge.com/ 2675 Irvine Ave Head to The CAMP for boutique shopping with focus on active living attend their "Spread the Love" event with live tunes by Violette Rain and dive into free activities like floral arranging grab a bag of wildflower seeds to take home The CAMP https://www.thecampsite.com/ 2937 Bristol Street End the Night Right with an Overnight Stay Valentine's Day falls on a Friday this year The Westin South Coast Plaza is offering a package designed for romance and relaxation Package Includes: -Overnight accommodations -Complimentary Breakfast for two (2) at The Great Room -Complimentary self-parking for one (1) vehicle -Chocolate Covered Strawberries -One (1) bottle of Champagne or Sparkling Cider The Westin South Coast Plaza https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/snawi-the-westin-south-coast-plaza-costa-mesa/ 686 Anton Boulevard Macie Brady, Travel Costa Mesa, 801-362-2906, [email protected], www.travelcostamesa.com Do not sell or share my personal information: Print The Costa Mesa Planning Commission Tuesday will give initial consideration to a plan by the city to acquire a residential property near Shalimar Park in order to expand a rare recreational space in the highly developed west-side area Panelists will review whether the purchase of the property conforms to the city’s general plan in a meeting rescheduled from its typical second-Monday format Such a transaction would require the city to demolish a 3,390-square-foot fourplex on the .16-acre parcel then draw up plans for expansion of Shalimar Park Those actions would require separate Planning Commission approval Shalimar was made possible by city officials who purchased the property for a reported $191,000 and demolished an old City leadership in 1997 expressed hope the park might help transform a neighborhood known as an “epicenter of gang troubles A conceptual design for improvements at Costa Mesa’s Shalimar Park includes a mini-pitch soccer area and a sports theme (Screenshot by Sara Cardine) “It would give the street a place for the kids to go so there would be a better sense of community there,” then-Councilman Joe Erickson said of the effort at the time Zoned R-3 for multifamily residential use, and with a land use designation sanctioning high-density living accommodations, the parcel is listed for sale on the real estate website Redfin for $1.75 million Costa Mesa’s land use matrix permits parks and playgrounds in R-3 zones While the general plan establishes a goal of approximately 4.26 acres of park space per 1,000 residents the planning area in which Shalimar Park sits offers much less open space — just 2.34 acres per 1,000 people the location of the acquisition of the subject property for park purposes will assist in achieving the city’s goal of 4.26 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents within the most densely populated and highly developed area in the city The Costa Mesa Planning Commission will meet Tuesday at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 77 Fair Drive. For the meeting agenda, visit costamesaca.gov. Print Danielle Hanson in 2016 left a thriving corporate communications job in Atlanta to devote her time to her first love — poetry That departure kicked off a six-year period of serving as a volunteer editor at various small publishing companies and literary journals during which Hanson saw her own work published before securing a job as a part-time instructor in UC Irvine’s School of Humanities of writing poetry is you’re absolutely never going to make a living doing this,” the 53-year-old Irvine resident quipped in an interview Monday Hanson seems to be making a pretty good go at a life steeped in verse ”Ambushing Water” in 2017 and “Fraying Edge of Sky” the following year with daughters Olivia and Annika and husband Magnus Egerstedt on Monday was named Costa Mesa’s first Poet Laureate (Courtesy of Danielle Hanson) For those reasons and more Hanson has been named the first-ever Costa Mesa Poet Laureate a position that runs for two years and will see the UC Irvine instructor lending poetic flair to a host of city-sponsored events and creative programs Officials announced Hanson’s selection in a news release Monday explaining the laureate program is one more investment being made to promote Costa Mesa’s status as “City of the Arts.” and I’m pleased to hear that we have one now,” Mayor John Stephens said in the release “Poetry is an important literary art form that provides a wonderful complement to the city’s exciting performing and visual arts.” The program stems from the city’s Arts & Culture master plan a document adopted in 2021 to guide the development of cultural programs and initiatives Selection of a poet laureate adheres to a goal stated in the plan to “professionalize and elevate the status of arts and culture in city government.” Costa Mesa arts specialist Laurette Garner worked with members of the Arts Commission to review candidates for the new role She said Tuesday the program is a conscious effort to include the literary arts among the city’s rich cultural offerings could work independently and could kind of take the reins,” Garner said of the ideal candidate “We weren’t sure what we were looking for because it was a new program and we didn’t know what direction to go in Working on a $2,500 annual stipend, Hanson will produce original poetry and make appearances and lead workshops at city events, such as Costa Mesa’s ARTventure Hanson — who fell in love with verse as an undergrad at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and went on to earn two master’s degrees in creative writing and applied mathematics — is married to UCI Dean of Engineering Magnus Egerstedt and has twin daughters attending college She encourages her students to read poetry and then try it for themselves by responding to prompts or phrases intended to inspire their creative thinking And while she’s not worked out the details of her two-year stint in Costa Mesa Hanson is already thinking of bringing poems to local parks and organizing “poetryoke” sessions in which people recite famous works in an open mic format “I see who likes poetry among those whom I interact with and I know they’re representing a sample of all people out there who would like poetry if they interacted with it,” she said Monday “So how do we get it out there where people already are?” the Laguna Beach Arts Commission named resident Kate Buckley poet laureate in 2017 as a means of “promoting the literary community and celebrating the written word,” Cultural Arts Director Sian Poeschl confirmed Monday that program shifted to a wider literary focus and then into a pandemic-era Artist-in-Residence program followed by a Creativity in a time of Crisis grant program that later morphed to an Artistic Innovation Grants program the latter of which this year bestowed $100,000 to artists in varying stages of their careers While the city of Anaheim has a Poet Laureate program, no such titles exist in Huntington Beach or Newport Beach, although the latter did maintain a program as far back as 1978, a city spokesperson reported Monday. Hanson’s own city, Irvine, has no laureate program, but the UC Irvine instructor was able to apply for the Costa Mesa designation, after the city extended eligibility to published poets throughout Orange County, and is glad she did. “At its best, a poet laureate position is like a cheerleader for poetry out in the community,” she said of her new position. “That’s how I approach it.”