Get some use out of fairgrounds

I can’t answer whether the fairgrounds get enough use (“Fairgrounds

sale draws community ire,” Friday). I am one person without

environmental reports. Without the fairgrounds, Costa Mesa would be

just another town to drive through. If I were to move and others did

the same, some local businesses would falter, although certainly

Costa Mesa would survive.

From the papers, we read that the fairgrounds could be sold for

$230 million to $350 million (local broker’s estimate), yet the

grounds bring in $189 million annually (hence not worth selling) in

revenue and the city makes $600,000 per year. Strange math.

The fairgrounds should look at other uses, but come to think of

it, with an amphitheater, car museum, ethnic fairs, equestrian site,

county fair, the speedway, farm, swap meet, used car lot ... what we

really need is an NFL team, so we can break the $1 million barrier

(instead of just $600,000). There is a little Andy Rooney in all of

us -- frankly, can anyone name a state-owned property so overused?

The fairgrounds have been around longer than most people have

resided in Costa Mesa or Orange County and survived through

California being rich and poor; therefore, the fairgrounds should

stay.

If I had one reasonable idea for the fairgrounds, it would be an

area that could be used daily to the public, that also creates

revenue. There is a void there. The rich can tie up their horses, but

gone are the go-cart track and driving range across from the Costa

Mesa Civic Center.

The next question should be: “What should be added to the

fairgrounds?” Bowling alley, go-cart track, drive-in theater, skating

rink, water slide?

The state should have no objections; it’s under-used, remember?

KEN NEUHOFF

Costa Mesa