MAILBAG - July 13, 2006

Why not a park and a city hall?

Hey, what about this idea? Why couldn’t a small park co-exist with a new Newport Beach City Hall? Everyone wins! The park folks would get some nice lawn to picnic on with shade trees, and Bill Ficker gets his new city hall. What a concept.

PETE RABBITT

Newport Beach

Newport needs to get off the bridge

During the past few years, Newport Beach fought to get air traffic over its city relocated to neighbors to their east and south. The city avoided a traffic tie-up at Newport Boulevard and West Coast Highway by influencing Cal Trans to terminate the Costa Mesa Freeway in Costa Mesa rather than at West Coast Highway. Earlier this year, Newport Beach flexed its financial muscle once again, this time to influence the acquisition of county property, even though the land was in Costa Mesa’s “sphere of influence.”

Now, in another attempt to divert traffic from Pacific Coast Highway, Newport Beach’s latest update of its general plan has assumed a bridge over the Santa Ana River at Costa Mesa’s 19th Street, connecting it to Banning Avenue in Huntington Beach. The city has included this bridge in its plan with the full knowledge that it is opposed by both Huntington Beach and by Costa Mesa because neither wants the traffic that structure will bring to their cities.

The reason is transparent. With that bridge on the city’s plan, a developer can claim his project will not increase Newport’s traffic because the vehicles will be diverted into Costa Mesa.

Let me remind Newport Beach city leaders that the purpose of state highways (Pacific Coast Highway is a state highway) is to take the traffic load off local streets. Newport’s plan does the exact opposite ? it diverts traffic from a main artery onto local streets.

The city of Newport Beach has a long and undistinguished record of being unimpressed by the concerns of its neighbors. Don’t make us wait for global warming to solve this problem. It’s time for Newport Beach to become a good neighbor. City leaders can begin by deleting the 19th Street bridge from the new general plan.

ALAN REMINGTON

Costa Mesa

Closing a public park on the Fourth?

As residents of Irvine Terrace, my family members for many years on the Fourth of July, around 8:30 p.m., have walked to the empty dirt lot at the corner of Jamboree and East Coast Highway to watch the spectacular fireworks show over the Back Bay. We were always in good company, as countless other people strolled down to this ideal vantage point with lawn chairs and blankets, and plopped down on the sidewalk up and down the road and on the immediate hillside in the dirt and weeds for the 30-minute display. From this vantage point, you can not only see the main Back Bay display, but along the rim of the bay, you can see spectacular displays from all over the county, including Huntington Harbor, Disneyland, Anaheim Stadium and Big Canyon.

Over the past year, we curiously watched as this lot was landscaped with a cement walkway and hardy California natives, and named an official public “park.” We were disappointed, as this cliff is an ideal spot to watch the sunset, and we had been hoping for a few trees, a couple of benches and grass. But nevertheless it was nice that the land became a city park. This year, when we arrived at the unofficial but well-known fireworks gazing corner, our family and others were greeted by a chain link fence and “park closed” signs. Apparently, the city of Newport Beach must have been concerned that the couple of hundred fireworks watchers would stray from the cement path and trample the hardy plant material. The actual only practical use for this public park (viewing of annual fireworks) was effectively prevented.

Only in the O.C. would a public park be closed for the Fourth of July.

REBECCA GONZALEZ

Corona del Mardpt.13-mailbag-BPhotoInfo2E1SSOBM20060713j1umqancCredit: MARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT Caption: (LA)The vacant lot above Newport Beach Central Library is the new site possibility for the city hall.