Pass: 13,000 / 87.7% Yes votes ...... 1,829 / 12.3% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Impartial Analysis

This Measure will confirm the General Plan land use designation of the Orange County Fair and Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, California, which describes current fair and event uses on the property. In particular, the designation details the historical use of the property as fairgrounds, and limits future uses to those consistent with past use. Also, once the State no longer owns the property, any proposed new development or change of use must be reviewed and approved by the City.

The following historical uses are listed as being permitted on the property: ancillary office, exposition/conference, equestrian, agricultural/livestock activities, restaurants, temporary specialty retail sales, outdoor marketplace, emergency operations, concerts/live entertainment, and uses complementary to the fairground and event center, such as botanical gardens, animal exhibits, museum, art/historical artifacts gallery, and performance art theaters supportive of the fairground uses. Uses that are not supportive of fairground and event center uses are expressly prohibited. Such prohibited uses include the following: casinos/gambling venues, shopping centers, hotel/motels, residential, self-storage facilities, hospitals, medical, dedicated or exclusive use athletic sports facilities and educational uses unrelated to the fairground and event center uses.

Any new property owner/operator may continue to operate the Fairgrounds as it currently exists, until such time as a master plan is submitted to, and approved by, the City. Building height and maximum floor area ratio presently allowable on the property would be required to remain the same. No particular use would be guaranteed to be continued, however.

The Measure requires that any future changes to the general plan land use designation for the property must receive full environmental review and be approved by a majority of the voters. This prevents any uses on the property which are inconsistent with the general plan designation without an election. The measure also provides that a proposed measure to change the general plan would be considered at the next general election unless the proponent paid for the costs of a special election.

A "yes" vote on this Measure would prevent a change in use of the property from a fairgrounds and event center if it is no longer owned by the State except with voter approval. Any change in use would not be permitted unless first approved by the City of Costa Mesa and must still be consistent with listed permitted uses. This would limit potential development of the property. No changes could be made to the land use designation of the property without both full environmental review and voter approval.

A "no" vote on this Measure would not keep and maintain current uses of the property as fairgrounds and event center if the property is no longer owned by the State. Changes to the land use designation for the property could be made in the future in the standard manner, which requires published notice, a public hearing and a vote of the City Council, but not voter approval.

THE ABOVE STATEMENT IS AN IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS OF MEASURE C. IF YOU DESIRE A COPY OF THE MEASURE OR THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE PLEASE CALL THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE AT (714) 754-5225, AND A COPY WILL BE MAILED AT NO COST TO YOU.

s/ Kimberly Hall Barlow
City Attorney