State Streets residents press council to prioritize Moon Park safety; PACS urges Marina View, Wilson and community gardens

The Parks, Arts, and Community Services (PACS) Commission urged the Costa Mesa City Council on March 31 to prioritize several parks rated low in a recent assessment and to fund community gardens, while residents from the State Streets neighborhood made a strong public push for Moon Park improvements.

Dr. Kelly Brown, PACS chair, and Cheyenne Wright, vice chair, told council the commission relied on a playground assessment, a values matrix and a draft open-space master plan to form recommendations. "We have a dozen parks that are in need of some love," Wright said, describing a visual map showing 'park deserts'—neighborhoods where residents must walk more than 15 minutes to reach a park.

PACS recommendations: The commission urged the council to prioritize Marina View and Wilson parks because both received C ratings in the playground assessment, sit near park deserts and serve higher-density neighborhoods. PACS also recommended setting aside modest funding for community gardens (the commission cited a waiting list of more than 200 people) and requested $400,000 be placed in the 2027–28 planning horizon for Westside Park development.

Residents press for Moon Park: Multiple State Streets residents used the public-comment slot to urge immediate action at Moon Park, supporting staff’s proposed $50,000 for conceptual design and community outreach. Resident Ramon told council the park’s existing configuration creates obstructed sight lines between a small and a larger playground and places children near an unfenced bike trail; he said his neighborhood has collected signatures and created moonparkproject.com to organize support. "This is something that's really important to me," Ramon said, describing safety concerns involving e-bikes and proximity to play equipment.

Other residents asked for play-area reconfiguration, fencing, improved lighting, separation between bike and play paths, and features that would serve seniors and young families, such as exercise stations and picnic shelters. Several speakers urged the city to retain the moon sculpture as an iconic element but improve surrounding amenities and sight lines.

Staff reaction and process: Rob Ryan and other staff said the $50,000 proposed for Moon Park would fund conceptual design and agency coordination (including with Orange County, which owns a small parcel and a sanitation easement adjacent to the park). Staff emphasized that outreach and coordination would allow the city to determine if the project is a simple playground replacement or a larger reimagining requiring more funding.

Where it stands: PACS’ recommendations were presented for council consideration; the study session did not finalize allocations. Councilmembers expressed support for focused, safety-driven investments (Wilson, Marina View and Moon Park were repeatedly cited) and asked staff to return with more precise cost estimates and funding options during the upcoming budget cycle.

Next steps: Staff will pursue community engagement and interagency coordination for Moon Park, refine cost estimates for PACS-prioritized parks, and include detailed project-level justifications in budget materials ahead of council decisions this spring.