City receives proposals for peninsula site

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- The city has received eight development proposals for

the coveted Balboa Peninsula site currently occupied by American Legion

Post 291, a mobile home park and a Girl Scouts facility.

At the end of last year, the City Council announced it would consider a

number of proposals for the site. The window closed on Friday, leaving

nearly a dozen submissions on the city’s plate. They ranged from

converting the entire area to public-service use to an Italian

villa-style luxury hotel. Most allowed for the American Legion to remain

where it stands.

The parcel has a long history; the city has owned the 6.59 acres since

1919.

In 1972, the city’s Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission recommended

converting the mobile home park to public-service use, but the city

dismissed the suggestion and has granted a number of lease extensions

since. However, suggestions for a more public-friendly development use

are, in fact, written into the lease, said City Manager Homer Bludau.

A separate concern remains about the location of the property, which may

lie within protected tidelands. The city sent a request to the state

Lands Commission more than a year ago to determine whether the land

should be protected, but has not yet received a reply.

The answer could force the relocation of the mobile homes. Although a

resort is one of the allowable tideland uses, residential structures are

not.

PROPOSALS

SUBMITTED BY: Parks, Beaches and Recreation

WHAT: Make the site more public-friendly. The proposal includes four

tennis courts, a Tot Lot for kids, a basketball court, a community

center, a boat shelter and parking. The American Legion and Girl Scout

House would remain untouched.

SUBMITTED BY: Richard S. Stevens and William P. Ficker

WHAT: Create a maritime village like a Cannery Row or Fisherman’s Wharf.

Keep the beach for public use, create a marina along the beachfront,

create a public shipyard and develop a village mall of marine service

stores. In addition, they propose providing a future site for a Newport

Nautical Museum. The American Legion Post would remain untouched.

SUBMITTED BY: The American Legion Post 291

WHAT: Wants to simply renew its lease for the longest possible time. The

legion occupies 1.35 acres and consists of three buildings -- a parking

lot, dry storage for small boats and a marina.

SUBMITTED BY: RHC Communities

WHAT: A boutique hotel of 100 rooms and a five-star restaurant adjacent

to the bay. Included in the proposal is a parking structure, tennis and

basketball courts and children’s playground. In addition, it proposes to

rehabilitate the boating facility, improve the mobile home community’s

landscape, construct new facilities for the American Legion, Girl Scouts

and the Balboa Community Center.

SUBMITTED BY: Ayres Hotel Group

WHAT: A two-story Cape Cod-style boutique hotel and restaurant. The group

already has a similar 300-room development in Costa Mesa called County

Inn & Suites on Bristol Street.

SUBMITTED BY: Bendetti Company

WHAT: Residential development, seaside inn, small office space, retail

and restaurants. The dwelling units would include 17 single-family homes

and 24 townhouses. The hotel would be a 44-room luxury seaside inn. In

addition, it proposes to relocate the American Legion Post. The mobile

home park will be allowed to remain.

SUBMITTED BY: Sutherland Talla Hospitality

WHAT: A five-star 156-room Italian-style resort and spa. Developers also

propose building a racquet club, sailing club and docks. The boardwalk

along 15th Street to 18th Street would be open to the public. In

addition, they propose constructing new facilities for a relocated

American Legion. Also, a new playground would be built for the Girl

Scouts House, which would remain at its current site.

SUBMITTED BY: Terra Vista Management

WHAT: Wants the Marinapark mobile home community to remain where it

currently stands. Parking spaces would be increased and the tennis courts

would be upgraded.