Mariners could get bigger library

June Casagrande

NEWPORT BEACH -- City Council members are scrambling with library and

school leaders to get a piece of $350 million in state money to build a

joint school-public library on the Mariners Elementary School campus.

But it could be an uphill battle. The state Proposition 14 funds

earmarked for building joint-use public libraries would cover only 65% of

the project’s nearly $3 million estimated cost, or just less than $2

million. The remaining money will have to come from fund-raisers and

donations.

And city leaders have only until June. By then, planners must work out

the details of the ambitious project and write a grant proposal.

“We really think we can do it,” said Newport-Mesa Unified School

trustee Serene Stokes, who helped draft initial plans for the roughly

12,500-square-foot library.

According to Stokes, the site was chosen because the school’s

proximity to a public library created an unusual opportunity to take

advantage of the grant.

That library, the Mariners Branch adjacent to the school, is in dire

need of renovation, officials say. But when they were considering fixing

it up in a way that also would benefit the elementary school children, it

was clear that the long walk across the school soccer field to the

library was the biggest problem.

The solution: put the public library right on school grounds.

Plans call for demolition of the Mariners Branch library now at 2005

Dover Drive. The new Mariners Branch Library would be built at the

southeast corner of the campus.

“I’m pretty excited about it,” Mariners Principal Pam Coughlin said.

“It sounds like we have a good opportunity to really expand our library

and what kids have available to them.”

The new two-story facility would have about 50% more space than the

current Mariners’ Library and likely would have expanded hours. It would

be staffed by public librarians and school librarians and would have

state-of-the-art resources for students and the public.

“There’s an enormous opportunity here for a win-win and for kids to

have a really high-tech new library,” said Newport Beach Community

Services Director LaDonna Kienitz, who also serves as the city’s head

librarian. “Everyone seems very enthusiastic.”

So enthusiastic, she said, that a community group, which she would not

name, is already considering doing fund-raising work for the project.

Officials hope that corporate and private donations also will help cover

the shortfall.

City Council members will get their first official look at the plans

at a special joint study session today at 4 p.m. in City Council

chambers.

-- June Casagrande covers Newport Beach. She may be reached at (949)

574-4232 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .