O.C. Fairgrounds proposal headed to capital

Just in time for the deadline, Costa Mesa City Council members Katrina Foley and Gary Monahan plan to visit Sacramento today to deliver a proposal for buying the Orange County Fairgrounds from the state.

The City Council voted unanimously on the decision during Tuesday’s closed-session meeting; no further details of the offer were given.

City Manager Allan Roeder, who plans to travel with the council members, said he cannot provide details of the proposal before it is presented to the governor’s office.

City officials have said that they plan on paying for the 150-acre fairgrounds through a consortium of interested parties, which could include the property’s tenants, such as the OC Market Place operator.

In March, after rejecting all public bids as too low, the state gave Costa Mesa one month to exclusively negotiate a purchase of the fairgrounds.

The Department of General Services, which is in charge of selling the fairgrounds, estimated the state could earn between $96 million and $180 million from the sale.

The highest bid, $56.5 million, came from Craig Realty Group, a Newport Beach-based luxury-outlet developer.

In other news, the council voted to extend the hours for Fourth of July fireworks sales from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Councilwoman Wendy Leece cast the only opposition vote.

The council also voted unanimously to reverse its ban on the “hand-held devices” commonly referred to as Morning Glories.

The fireworks, which the city banned in 2004, are not outlawed by the state.

Costa Mesa is one of five cities in Orange County that allow nonprofits to sell fireworks around Independence Day.

Nonprofit organizations in the city partner with companies to sell “safe and sane fireworks” and keep about half of the proceeds.

In the past, the organizations were allowed to sell their fireworks from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. July 1 to 3. On July 4, sales began an hour earlier, but had to shut down by 8 p.m.