City Council members voted in 2021 to allow non-motorized gliders at Fairview, while staff worked on a park master plan. Instead, staff pushed for a ban on all aircraft, which the council rejected Tuesday.
After decades of flying model aircraft at Fairview Park, where protected species live, the Harbor Soaring Society may soon be grounded for good, unless the City Council grants a reprieve.
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A complex debate over whether city parks should be used for recreation or preservation is causing some turbulence in Costa Mesa.
Fairview Park a 208-acre open space that’s home to about 30 protected species and has been found to contain artifacts from at least two Native American tribes is also a draw for people who have, for decades, biked, picnicked and otherwise enjoyed the site.
For instance: the Harbor Soaring Society, a club for aviation enthusiasts and remote-control aircraft fliers. For more than 60 years, members have enjoyed the friendly skies at a model airplane flying field on Fairview’s west side.