A long-awaited update to the Fairview Park master plan will determine the fate of a model aircraft flying field that has divided the Costa Mesa community.

At its Nov. 18 hearing on a draft of the revised plan, the City Council considered arguments for moving the airfield outside the park to mitigate harm to endangered wildlife and resources.

The draft of the new master plan also directs the city to enhance trails and public amenities, restore sensitive habitats and preserve tribal sites, among other recommendations.

The 208-acre Fairview Park is a biodiversity hotspot containing five habitat ecosystems with rare and endangered plants and animals, including the burrowing owl, Crotch’s bumble bee and coastal gnatcatcher. It’s also home to two Native American Nationally Registered Histo

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