Commentary: Keep Fairview Park in mind when you vote

When you vote this November — and you surely must — please keep reasoning in mind. Political parties are not an issue here. I know people from political persuasions different from mine, and they agree we must take care not to damage valuable natural areas in Fairview Park.

Do you want our local leaders to give away valuable, natural parkland? Do want your child to not be able to enjoy the natural parts of the park? What about those who come after we are gone?

With careful and well-supported planning, Costa Mesa, already known as the City of Arts, can be considered a place of natural beauty as well.

The west side of the park has toilets, water and covered and uncovered tables set in grassy areas. There are 100 parking spaces. Other than this relatively small developed area, much of the park is natural with dirt trails for walkers and bikers. These areas have native plants and vernal pools — visible only in the wet season.

Along the south border are residences. To the west is the edge of a bluff, the bottom of which connects to Talbert Nature Preserve, which connects to designated natural areas up and down the Santa Ana River.

Pacific Avenue ends at the south border of the park a short block past its intersection with the end of Wilson Street. It’s a residential area with limited on-street parking for the higher-density housing. Two main proposals depend on opening the end of Pacific and destroying natural parkland to create a turnaround and a special area for young children.

The turnaround would be used by drivers who go that way mistakenly or are just exploring. Currently, drivers coming down Pacific see too late a “dead end” sign past the Wilson Street intersection. Others coming up to the end of Wilson see a sign across the intersection indicating it’s not a through street.

They then have to turn around in someone’s driveway, running the risk of damaging a resident’s vehicle — which has happened. Is an expensive and intrusive turnaround necessary to solve this problem for those who are new to the area?

The second proposal is the special place for children, a tot lot. How would such a place be operated? It would surely require parking somewhere. If not on overloaded Pacific Avenue, where? Does that mean those in power want to also add a parking lot for these families of young children?

Such a place would surely need restrooms and water. And will the city have to pay for a “tot lot cop” to make sure no older children interfere? At what age is child no longer a tot?

We can solve the tot lot problem by letting whole families come to the park together. They can use the well-constructed entrance on Placentia and the facilities already there. If more facilities are needed, it would be easy and inexpensive to expand the current locations.

BILL GILBERT has lived on Costa Mesa’s Westside for more than 50 years.