The Costa Mesa City Council voted 4–3 on Tuesday to direct staff to advance a draft update to the Fairview Park master plan, following several hours of public comment and detailed council deliberations about cultural-resource protections, trail design and where to locate the model-airfield.

Council members said they wanted a plan that balances public access and recreation with protections for sensitive biological and tribal cultural resources. Council member Arliss Reynolds, who made the motion, said the CEQA process will test mitigation options and help the city weigh staying with the field’s current location or moving it to the park’s east side.

The council’s approved direction included three specific changes: revise the proposed trail network to be consistent with the Active Transportation Plan; add an explicit recommendation to establish ongoing communication and collaboration with the tribes participating in the tribal advisory group; and include a 10-mile-per-hour speed limit for bike trails.

Speakers for both sides of the issue urged caution. Tribal-advisory and archaeology consultants told the council the site should be treated as a unified tribal cultural landscape and recommended mitigation tools including raised boardwalks, targeted revegetation, signage and fencing to prevent unauthorized trails. Supporters of continued recreational uses — including model aviation enthusiasts and train-ride volunteers — asked the council to retain access for existing activities and to locate replacements thoughtfully if any uses are moved.

Mayor Stevens and several council members emphasized that any ground-disturbing work would be accompanied by tribal consultation and an archeological treatment plan as required by CEQA. The council also directed staff to bring back a proposal for continued engagement with the tribal advisory group to guide interpretive signage, site access and program priorities.

The decision was procedural: the council did not adopt a final master plan or authorize construction. Council members stressed that additional project-level approvals, funding decisions and any ground-disturbing work would come back to the council through the usual CIP and CEQA steps.