Westside

IF YOU GO Public meeting on cleanup plan for 1640 Monrovia Ave., where soil was contaminated by industrial uses and mixed use development is now proposed WHAT: WHEN: Open house from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., May 9. Meeting begins at 6 p.m. WHERE: Costa Mesa City Council chambers, 77 Fair Drive INFO: Call Julie Johnson at (714) 484-5337 or view the cleanup plan at the Costa Mesa Branch Library, 1855 Park Ave. COSTA MESA — The site of one of the earliest projects proposed for the Westside overlay zone must be cleaned up before construction can begin.

Costa Mesa police had eight people in custody after a shooting Wednesday evening near Pomona Avenue and James Street on the Westside. No one was hurt in the shooting, which happened at 5:40 p.m., but police believe it was gang-related, Costa Mesa Police Lt. Dale Birney said. Several anxious neighbors said crime has been rising in the neighborhood. A park ranger headed toward the area after hearing shots fired, according to police. At the same time, two off-duty officers saw a suspicious vehicle leaving the area of the shooting, police said.

The Westside Business Culture. Sounds hip, sounds cool. And by the sounds of it, it could be the answer — or at least the catalyst — to changing the image of the Westside from a blighted slum to a thriving destination spot. City leaders have done, and will continue to do, much to change the run-down nature of the Westside. Now, the Westside Business Culture, a conglomerate of business leaders with backgrounds in home development, the surfing industry, magazine media and restaurants and bars, will put market forces to work to erase the stigma of the past and make the much-maligned area of town "a place to stay and play."

COSTA MESA — It's time for the Westside to flourish and solidify its identity — a play-work-live identity full of hipster businesses neighboring the surf industry's "ground zero," according to a group of Westside business leaders. The newly formed Westside Business Culture group wants to attract people to the Westside, while promoting the area and getting rid of any "stigmas" some folks might have. Made up of representatives from some of the area's hippest businesses, the six founding members are involved with home developments, surf companies, a magazine, residents, restaurants and bars.

Through a strange convergence of circumstances, residents of the senior apartment complex Bethel Towers in Costa Mesa found themselves well prepared for a fire that broke out March 1 and sent two people to the hospital. They'd had fire safety classes in September, and half a dozen of the residents took more extensive emergency training. And before anyone knew there would be a fire, Costa Mesa officials were talking about how to make the aging towers safer by installing a sprinkler system and other fire prevention and warning systems.

COSTA MESA — City Council members voted Tuesday to temporarily block the subdivision of industrial developments citywide while they develop new standards and determine how the subdivisions might affect redevelopment plans for the Westside. The unanimously approved moratorium will last 45 days, but it could be extended to two years. City officials have said no industrial-park subdivisions are in the works, so no specific request is being blocked by the moratorium. Councilman Eric Bever said the key reason for the moratorium isn't the Westside but the lack of standards and city discretion in industrial building subdivisions.

At long last, a for-sale sign hangs proudly in front of the 1903 Craftsman-style Huscroft House at 548 Bernard St. Having invested years of work and nearly $500,000 into its restoration, John Morehart is ready for the 2,750-square-foot, three-bedroom home to change hands, with an asking price of $1.25 million. "I've put so much into it without a way of getting any money back during the process," he said. "I was excited coming here everyday to work on it, but it's time to let it go and move on to something else."

For the last six years, Bruce Garlich has been a steady hand at the Costa Mesa planning commission. In his tenure, he's seen a number of major developments and initiatives come and go. He's helped push through improvements to the Westside, the development of the Home Ranch project and the 1901 Newport development. He's listened to debates over two-story houses and grappled with what to do with the dearth of playing fields for the city's youth. And through it all, Garlich has been a reasoned voice, a pragmatist attempting to be heard amid a cacophony of often angry voices.

An unidentified man was in the hospital Friday fighting for his life after being struck by a sport-utility vehicle in Costa Mesa, authorities said. The unidentified man was in critical condition at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Marty Carver said. An earlier report that he died was erroneous, Carver added.  Police were informed at about 1 p.m. today that the man had died, but after checking with the Orange County Coroner’s office, it turned out the man was still alive.