Park completion more than a year away

Andrew Glazer

NEWPORT BEACH -- The Bonita Canyon Sports Park will open in April

2001, public works officials are expected to tell the City Council on

Monday.

Don Webb, Newport Beach director of public works, said the park’s

planners are on schedule and nearly finished with its design.

At the last City Council meeting, Councilman Tom Thomson asked the

public works department for an update on the park’s progress.

“I just want to know why we don’t have a park yet,” Thomson said

Friday. “People deserve one as soon as possible.”

Webb said he expects the city will begin seeking bids for the park’s

construction in late February or early March.

The city began planning the sports park nearly two years ago. Plans

include baseball and soccer fields, a playground, tennis and basketball

courts and restrooms.

It took city officials more than a year to agree on what should be in

the park, as many youth sports groups competed for the much-needed space.

There was even talk of a skateboard park in the early planning stages,

but that idea was scrapped after residents said it would be too noisy and

attract undesirable people to their quiet neighborhood.

Webb said the tennis courts, playground, a basketball court and the

restrooms may come to cost more than the city’s $5.9- million budget. But

he said they will eventually be a part of the park.

The 33.5-acre park--bordered by Bonita Canyon Drive, MacArthur

Boulevard and Old Ford Road--was part of the city’s Bonita Canyon

annexation deal with the Irvine Co. and the Newport-Mesa Unified School

District. The improvements are being funded through extra taxes paid by

Bonita Canyon homeowners.

Phil Glasgow, a former parks commissioner who helped push for the

project, said the planners seem to be moving a bit slowly.

“Maybe it’s not on the top of their priorities,” he said. “We should

have been at this point months ago. But maybe it’s part of the government

process. Our kids deserve this park. I guess sometimes it takes awhile to

do something good.”

The City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 3300 Newport

Blvd.