Marinapark plans emerge

NEWPORT BEACH ? Plans for the much-debated Marinapark property are beginning to take shape after two months of meetings between city officials and proponents of a public waterfront park.

But the final product could be months away from a City Council vote and years from completion, officials said at a meeting Thursday.

The council voted in March to close the mobile-home park at Marinapark, a 9.8-acre city-owned property on Balboa Peninsula. The debate over the future use of the property has raged, and residents in 2004 voted down plans for a luxury hotel there.

The proposed design for the property now looks very much like one created by Protect Our Parks, the group that led the anti-hotel charge.

It would include 30 boat slips and three side ties for visitors, who could use them for up to 30 days. The slips would be designed for 40-foot boats and the ties could handle 35- to 45-foot boats. A 200-foot public dock for visiting boats would also be built.

An aquatic center would serve city sailing programs and possibly UC Irvine, and there would be a public place to hand-launch small watercraft such as kayaks.

A community center, a picnic area, a tot lot and a beach would be open to the public, and recreation facilities could include several beach volleyball courts, four half-court basketball courts, and two tennis courts. The existing Girl Scout house would be rebuilt.

A 96-space public parking lot would have an entrance opposite 16th Street.

What’s new is that the plan could include improvements for the adjacent American Legion facilities. The city has promised the legion would not lose any accommodations if its property is included in the project.

At Thursday’s meeting of council members, park proponents, a Girl Scouts representative, American Legion members and others, Councilman Tod Ridgeway estimated that the project could cost $12 million.

Much needs to happen before the project is sent to the council. The key to moving forward is determining how the American Legion fits into the project and getting legion officials and members to agree on the plan, Mayor Don Webb said.

“I hate to say it’s a six-month negotiation process. I hope it isn’t,” Ridgeway said.

Once everyone agrees, a lengthy process of getting approvals from the Coastal Commission and other agencies is likely.