Costa Mesa council to meet at Senior Center during City Hall construction project

When the council chamber at Costa Mesa City Hall goes out of commission later this year for a planned audio/video and infrastructure project, the city will temporarily hold some public meetings at the Costa Mesa Senior Center, City Council members decided Tuesday.

The council’s usual first-floor meeting room will be unavailable during construction, which could begin as soon as Oct. 17 and is expected to last five to seven months, according to a city staff report.

Staff examined several options — including the board meeting rooms of the Costa Mesa Sanitary, Mesa Water, Coast Community College and Newport-Mesa Unified School districts — but ultimately chose the Senior Center because the city operates the facility and can assure meeting space is available when needed.

Planning Commission meetings also are expected to be held at the Senior Center during the council chamber construction. Staff will determine “appropriate locations for all other city commission and committee meetings ordinarily held in council chambers,” according to the staff report.

“Utilizing the Senior Center will require relocation of some previously approved programs and activities within the Senior Center itself to another city facility,” the staff report states. “If an adequate relocation agreement cannot be reached, cancellation of select programs and activities may be required, but staff will work diligently to ensure the least of amount of disruption.”

The Senior Center is at 695 W. 19th St.

Tanager trail resolution

An on-again, off-again concept for a new bicycle or pedestrian trail in the Upper Birds area was officially switched off Tuesday when council members adopted a resolution to deny any future city consideration of the concept without formal approval of a majority of the council.

The envisioned trail — which has been proposed several times over the years — would connect an existing trail east of Golf Course Drive to Fairview Park and run between the Costa Mesa Country Club and homes on Tanager Drive.

Most recently, the idea came up during preparation of the city’s active transportation plan but was deleted in the face of fierce community opposition.

The adopted resolution also requires that residents of Tanager Drive be notified before any consideration of such a trail.

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