Fair’s future up in air

What will happen with the Orange County Fairgrounds now that state lawmakers have voted to put a “for sale� sign on the property? That will be the focus of an Orange County Fair Board meeting Wednesday in Costa Mesa City Hall.

The location the 5 p.m. meeting is appropriate because much of the property’s fate will depend on Costa Mesa officials once the sale is complete.

The next step will involve appraising the fairgrounds, said Eric Lamoureux of California’s Department of General Services. “Within the next two months, we expect to put our request for proposals to potential buyers,� he said. “They will have 60 to 90 days to tell us their price.�

If the offers are too low, the state may postpone the sale.

“We will evaluate the offers,� Lamoureux said, “and if we feel like the proposals are far too low, we may hold off selling property. But we eventually want to let the market dictate what the property will sell for.�

How the city zones the property will affect its value, Sen. Tom Harman said.

“The big question is what will be the best use of the property, and how its zoning restrictions will affect this,� he said.

City Councilwoman Katrina Foley is intent on keeping the fairgrounds out of the hands of developers and has encouraged her supporters to lobby Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on the issue.

“We’ve passed several unanimous resolutions that support keeping the fairgrounds as fairgrounds,� Foley said, referring to the rest of the council.

The sale of the fairgrounds was authorized by Assembly Bill ABX4 22, which states that “The sale of the real property authorized by this section shall be pursuant to a public bidding process designed to obtain the highest, most certain return for the state from a responsible bidder, and any transaction based on such a bidding process shall be deemed to be the fair market value for the property.�

Although the fairgrounds will go to the highest bidder, its usage will still be restricted to activities that are recreational in nature.

“[The state] has to take into account factors other than money,� Assemblyman Chuck DeVore said. “They will also consider the purchaser’s ability to execute the land’s intended purpose.�

According to DeVore, this clause will prevent developers from turning the fairgrounds into homes or commercial buildings.

“It has to be used for a substantially similar purpose,� he said.

Some officials contend that the auctioning of the fairgrounds will improve the quality of the fair and benefit the public.

“I think it would actually untie the hands of the fair organizers,� DeVore said. “There are a lot of restrictions on the fair. Its organizers can’t do exactly as they wish because the fair’s operations are under the auspices of the state. But if sold to a nonprofit organization, then they’d be able to be more creative with their events and activities.�

Despite the uncertainty that surrounds the fairgrounds, DeVore is optimistic about its future. “I look forward to seeing it improve,� he said.