Refocusing Westside efforts the answer

Geoff West

In his Thursday letter (Mailbag, “Capitalism is answer to Westside

doldrums,” resident and local businessman Chuck Cassity made a strong

case against expanding the current redevelopment area. His position

was clear, well-reasoned and right on the money.

When the most recent Redevelopment Agency meeting -- which was to

include the discussion of expansion of the redevelopment area -- was

canceled because of the overwhelming resident interest that packed

the larger, but woefully inadequate, venue, the City Council had to

be surprised.

As if that show of interest by the community was not enough, Daily

Pilot reporter Deirdre Newman’s recent article outlining the mountain

of debt the Redevelopment Agency already carries should make every

single taxpayer in this city sit up and take notice (“Debt continues

to drag down Westside debate,” Thursday). The precarious fiscal

condition of the state and the possibility of the Gov. Gray Davis

administration siphoning off tax dollars intended for the

Redevelopment Agency should be a wake-up call for our leaders.

Few can dispute that the Westside needs help -- Cassity, and

Kathleen Eric in her poignant letter several months ago, covered the

realities of the situation quite well -- but is “redevelopment” the

answer? Based on today’s fiscal realities, prudence would seem to

indicate that it is not. For years, residents of that area have

pleaded with city leaders to enforce codes, improve infrastructure

and reduce crime -- all necessary components of improvement of the

Westside. It is unlikely that any single resident of that area feels

that the wheels of progress are moving fast enough, and rightfully

so.

The Redevelopment Agency seems to be jumping the gun, however,

since their appointed Community Redevelopment Action Committee has

yet to present the results of their studies. How can they seriously

consider tripling the size of the redevelopment area until this

committee members present their findings and recommendations?

On the surface, it certainly appears that this may simply be a

method of broadening the area from which the Redevelopment Agency can

snag additional tax dollars to reduce the debt it carries from

previous questionable redevelopment efforts -- Triangle Square, for

example. This maneuver, unfortunately, will cast a shadow over the

residents and business owners of the expanded area and will certainly

adversely affect their property values and their ability to

successfully operate businesses in that part of town.

It’s time for Mayor Pro Tem Chris Steel, in his role as Chairman

of the Redevelopment Agency, to take a tight grip on the reins and

slow this group from full gallop to a trot until the fiscal condition

of the agency and the very real personal and financial impact of the

expansion of the redevelopment area on residents and businesses can

be fully accessed.

In the meantime, the city should refocus its efforts to assure

adherence to the appropriate codes, accelerate the much-needed

maintenance of the infrastructure and redirect the efforts of the

Police Department to reduce crime in that area.

* GEOFF WEST is a Costa Mesa resident.