Hotel proposal draws wait-and-see reaction
Noaki Schwartz
BALBOA PENINSULA -- Those who would be most affected by a proposal to
turn a mobile home park and an American Legion post into a luxury hotel
said Wednesday they aren’t jumping to conclusions until the project
further unfolds.
“We’re going to watch very carefully and do whatever is necessary,” said
Stewart Berkshire, president of the Marina Park Homeowner’s Assn.
Members of American Legion Post 291 also are maintaining a wait-and-see
attitude about the City Council’s Oct. 25 study session, where city
leaders will hear the proposal submitted by Sutherland Tala Hospitality.
“The City Council has chosen to let [the developer] Steve Sutherland
present his plan to the study session, so we’ll see what he says there,”
said Donald Donaldson, a 42-year member of the American Legion.
Nearly a month ago, Sutherland visited the respective communities and
presented his proposal for a 156-room resort. The proposal estimates the
hotel would produce $2.8 million annually in city revenue.
Sutherland could not be reached for comment.
Though they agreed the drawings were attractive, legion members felt the
hotel could be built somewhere other than the site they have occupied
since the 1930s, Donaldson said.
“We listened to Sutherland and told him we were only interested in
renewing our lease,” he said.
Both leases for the 58-home Marina Park and 1,500-member American Legion
building will expire in March.
Donaldson was unmoved by the developer’s proposal to give the legion
$500,000 to help it relocate. He said the veterans’ organization has
already relocated once and has substantially invested in its existing
building and docks.
“We thought, ‘this is very nice’ but it’s not something that’s real,”
Berkshire said of Sutherland’s presentation. “The city hasn’t received
any alternative proposal -- that is a serious proposal with a
commitment.”
The council will review the history and status of both properties, as
well as the hotel proposal, said Councilman Tod Ridgeway.
“I think as a city, we have a financial evaluation to make and we affect
a lot of people,” he said.
Clear the way?
What do you think about the proposal to build a beachfront hotel where
the Marina Park mobile homes and American Legion Post 291 now stand at
Balboa Boulevard and 15th Street? Call our Readers Hotline at (949)
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