Council to consider library plan, Motor Inn proposal

After several months of workshops and community meetings on the proposal, the Costa Mesa City Council is scheduled to consider a plan Tuesday to demolish the downtown Neighborhood Community Center and construct a new 20,000-square-foot library in its place.

The estimated $34.5-million project would also include renovating the Donald Dungan library branch, next to the community center in Lions Park, and make it a meeting space.

If approved, city officials estimate that the library, to be constructed south of the community center, will be built by October 2018. The Dungan’s renovation would be completed by November 2019 and the community center demolished by December 2020.

Library advocates say a new facility is sorely needed. The Dungan, built in 1986, lacks many needed community amenities, including a tutoring area, space for teens, homework center and group study rooms.

At 68,000 volumes, the Dungan is also at capacity.

Officials are proposing that a new library have a dedicated teen area, four group study rooms, 36 computer stations and space for 95,000 volumes, among other improvements.

City staff have proposed three funding options, which will likely go to the city’s Finance Advisory Committee for further review.

The first is taking on the project without going into any debt by using all of a variety of city funds, either in full or in their entirety, for the next four fiscal years.

The second suggested financing plan would take on nearly $30 million in debt financing for 30 years, with an annual payment of $1.8 million.

The third — the one recommended by city staff — is paying a larger initial payment in the 2016-17 fiscal year so that future annual payments are $1.53 million toward a $25.25-million, 30-year loan.

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Motor Inn, sober-living homes

The council is scheduled to make its second procedural votes on the demolition of the Costa Mesa Motor Inn in favor of new apartments and on a regulatory ordinance of sober-living homes.

On Nov. 3, four members of the council approved plans for the Motor Inn — a 1970s-era, 236-room motel at 2277 Harbor Blvd. — to be replaced with 224 luxury apartments by the motel’s Los Angeles-based owner, Miracle Mile Properties.

The plans would also involve a zoning change for the 4.15-acre property, from commercial to high-density residential.

Councilwoman Sandy Genis dissented.

The sober-living home ordinance, approved unanimously Nov. 3, would place a series of new regulations on sober-living homes in multifamily-zoned neighborhoods.

It follows a similar ordinance adopted last year that regulated such homes in single-family neighborhoods.