About Us:

Why Costa Mesa First?

Costa Mesa has been growing, and it will experience even more growth in the coming years. This presents a rare moment of opportunity. Our neighborhoods can uniquely benefit by applying smart growth principles based on the lessons learned elsewhere. Costa Mesa First is a general purpose recipient committee; a non-partisan team offering knowledge and tools to help voters decide how to keep our city vibrant and healthy.

What do we do?

• Educate Costa Mesans about growth issues and choices

• Engage you and encourage you to participate with us in city issues

• Build a broad group of residents who study and identify good development, ways to make the development process fair and predictable, and to encourage collaboration

• Help decision-makers and community leaders implement smart growth policies

What do we provide?

• Advocacy/Participation:  Unite proponents of well-managed growth and help them express to city leaders the need to shape policy around smart growth principles

• Education:  Workshops, presentations and programs that cover planning, design, transportation principles and other smart growth strategies

• Information/Assistance:  Books, guides, and articles to help residents

How will we help you?

We will work to support you in:

 

• Expressing your concerns at city meetings including City Council, Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and others

• Writing emails to City Council and Planning Commission, and letters to the editor of newspapers

• Encouraging you to serve on advisory commissions and committees

 

​Some of the areas we will focus on are:

 

• Addressing the home ownership to rental imbalance in Costa Mesa

• Encouraging affordable housing for seniors and to enable businesses to attract and retain a workforce

• Making sure development pays its own way with regard to impact on city service levels (traffic, water, sewer, roads, parks, bike and walking paths, open space systems, etc.)

• Supporting like-minded candidates for the three City Council seats in the November 2016 election