New details unveiled for Marinapark

Mathis Winkler

BALBOA PENINSULA -- Right now Stephen Sutherland is mainly concerned

about making the American legionnaires happy.

After all, Newport Beach City Council members already told the

developer that his proposed luxury resort for the city-owned Marinapark

site won’t go anywhere without legionnaire approval. That said, city

leaders voted for a three-year exclusive negotiating agreement with

Sutherland’s company, Sutherland Talla Hospitality, in November.

Sutherland, who submitted more detailed drawings of his project to

city officials earlier this week, plans to move the existing legion hall

from 15th Street to the other end of the property on 18th Street.

Legionnaires would then share the site with a 156-room luxury hotel in

Italian-style villas. The Girl Scouts, who also have a building at

Marinapark, would receive a new home on the site as well. Residents of a

mobile home park that’s now at Marinapark would have to leave.

In the past, legionnaires haven’t been too keen on the idea of giving

up their building, which has sat there since 1949 and houses American

Legion Post 291.

But the post’s new commander said Thursday that Sutherland’s offer to

build a new hall and dedicate it to legionnaires at least deserves

consideration.

“My position is to look at all the options,” said J.T. Tarwater, who

took office June 1. “I haven’t made up my mind. If the building is

larger, more modern and efficient and meets all of our needs . . . it’s

certainly worth looking at. We’re talking about minimal rent, and now we

pay quite a bit.”

At the moment, the legionnaires pay the city about $105,000 in rent

and parking lot, boat slip and locker rental revenues.

Before legionnaires would think about endorsing the move, some

problems still need to be cleared up, Tarwater said. Sutherland’s plan

doesn’t include shower facilities and enough parking spaces and boat

slips for the legionnaires.

The latest plans “are not what we want at this point,” Tarwater said,

adding that he had told legionnaires about the project’s status at a

Wednesday meeting but has not received any response yet.

A handful of legionnaires hanging out at the post’s bar Thursday

morning also didn’t want to comment on the project.

Sutherland said he’ll do everything he can to accommodate the group.

“Anything I can do that they require, I will do,” he said. “I do

believe that as important members of our community and people that have

sacrificed throughout their adult lives, they’re used to sacrifice. I

believe that if I can show them that this is good for the city of Newport

Beach and at the same time a positive move for legion members . . . we

can work together.”

If Sutherland manages to win legionnaires over, he still must face

city review -- and Newport Beach voters, who must approve the project

under the new, slow-growth Greenlight law.

That’s something Sutherland’s very much aware of.

“This is the first project designed with the knowledge that it must be

approved by the residents of Newport Beach,” he said, adding that he

scrapped plans for three-story buildings and an aboveground parking

structure.

In a memo titled “General Program for the Resort and the Community,”

which Sutherland submitted with the drawings this week, he also listed

some perks he hopes will sweeten the deal for the city’s voters.

Once the resort is open, residents would have access to some of its

facilities, such as the rowing and sailing club, which would offer free

classes to local children. The resort grounds would be open to the public

during the day, with a boardwalk along the bay extending to 15th Street.

While part of the resort, city residents would get free membership to

four proposed tennis courts.

The second floor of the proposed legion hall would also include a

community center, open for meetings of the peninsula’s residential and

business associations.

But even with those concessions, one community activist already said

he hopes the resort will not be built.

“It’s supposed to be a public park,” said Tom Hyans, president of the

Central Newport Beach Community Assn. “They’re turning the peninsula into

a cash cow for city funds. . . . I pray the American Legion doesn’t go

for it. We’ll see how gutsy they are.”

If all goes according to plan and city officials sign off on the

project, Sutherland hopes to take the resort to voters in the November

2002 election. If approved, construction on the new American Legion hall

-- the first building to go up -- could begin 60 days later, with the

resort’s opening to follow in spring 2004.

FYI

City officials will hold a public meeting about the proposed resort

July 9. A time and location have not been chosen. Information: (949)

644-3000.