State should handle cove cottages

Jeannette Y. Merrilees

Your Friday, May 13th question regarding a possible takeover of the

renovation of Crystal Cove cottages has morphed into “Should a

nonprofit such as the Alliance to Rescue Crystal Cove manage the

Historic District?”

After the state invests mega bucks to complete its historic

renovation.

My question is “Why?” Why should the 46 cottages, or the 60

campsites in El Moro Canyon, become an exception to the generally

established park policies for managing overnight facilities

throughout California?

Isn’t the management of state-owned, state-funded facilities

always subject to an open-bidding process ? Doesn’t the Parks

Department hire qualified, professional management firms with

established track records for fair, neutral treatment of the public?

Does the prime location of this beachfront park on Orange County’s

exclusive Newport Coast merit a different, more private and local

management than other state parks?

The exorbitant costs of redoing failing units under historic

district guidelines are the direct result of cove tenants application

to place the beach cottages on the federal register as a historic

district. Less expensive rehab or replacement options were eliminated

and severe funding problems were created. The “resort” alternative

using private development funds to serve an elite clientele was

soundly rejected in January of 2001.

This governor is to be lauded for not dignifying the most recent

political maneuvers of our local 70th Assembly district

representative on behalf of holdover tenants, and should now take a

dim view of any deals by Senator Campbell and former tenant, Laura

Davick.

Immediate funding is needed to make overnight cottages available

for public use ASAP and should be sought by our local

representatives.

The fiscally responsible approach would be to condition funding

for us in completing those overnight units already begun for use this

season. The stream of revenue created could be earmarked for lesser

priorities this winter.

Letters supporting such funding should be written to the

governor’s office. For all others, there are your local

representatives.

* JEANNETTE Y. MERRILEES is former co-chair of Sierra Club Task

Force for Crystal Cove State Park and a Laguna Beach resident.