"The most consistent and smartest thinking and writing about progressive politics isn't happening in Sacramento, but being churned out day after day on sites and by organizations like Calitics, Orange County Progressive, and the California Budget Project." - CalBuzz
Nothing new here. We wrote Mimi Walters and Tom Harman:Fire Teachers, Release Pedophiles, and Sell the County Fairgrounds when we looked vainly for the Republican legislative budget proposal. This goes back to the Governator's claim that he could solve our problems by eliminating waste and fraud, and running the state like a business. He never told us that the business model was one he borrowed from Bernie Madoff.
Five billion in surplus properties, were identified, and the report included this.
The state owns 190 acres in the City of Costa Mesa, located in Orange County. The land is used to hold the annual Orange County Fair, a summertime agricultural fair. Preliminary discussions with local brokers and appraisers active in the Orange County area indicate that its highest and best use would be for housing. They estimate the property would be worth $27-$30/per square foot, or about $230 million, if it were properly zoned, approved for development, and clear of all hazardous materials and existing improvements. [14] If the land were developed to accommodate four to six single family detached homes per acre, it would allow about 1,000 homes to be built. Higher densities of more than four to six housing units per acre along with other development including retail, apartments and office space, for example, are possible with the cooperation of local government in the zoning and development process.
