Planning for parks gets picky
June Casagrande
NEWPORT BEACH -- The flatter the earth at Upper Bayview Landing, the
better the view for passing motorists. But, at the same time, the more
the land there is leveled for a park, the less money will be left to
landscape it.
This 12-acre parcel at the intersection of Jamboree Road and Coast
Highway could dominate the discussion today when council members take a
good, hard look at three parks-to-be.
Along with Bayview Landing, Newport Village Park and Sunset Ridge Park
will be the subject of a council study session to decide how and when to
develop these pieces of land into things of beauty and assets to the
community.
It’s a goal that could prove tricky, especially at Bayview Landing.
“When you’re driving down Coast Highway, there isn’t much of a view
because the dirt is higher than the roadway,” said Newport Beach Public
Works Director Steve Badum. “One thought is that we would use some minor
grading to lower that, not a lot, to improve the view from the Back Bay.”
A total of $680,000 has been set aside to develop the land once the
former gas station site’s soil is confirmed to be clean. The land is
slated to become a “passive park,” one with no parking and only minimal
amenities, such as a bicycle trail. City staffers have laid out three
options for developing the land as a passive park, ranging from leaving
the ground at its current height to grading it all the way down to street
level.
“I think we need to do some grading, but I’m not convinced we need to
bring it down to ground level,” said City Councilman Steve Bromberg,
whose district includes the park site. “If we grade all of it, that’s
where all the money’s going to go.”
Developing a park at Newport Village, though, is an even higher
priority, Badum said, because at the same time parking could also be
created for the Central Library next to it. The 12-acre site is just
north of the library between Avocado Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard. Like
Upper Bayview Landing, the lot is pledged by the Irvine Co. to be
dedicated to the city as park space. But as of now, there is no money to
develop the site.
Plans to create ball fields and other facilities at Sunset Ridge Park
will likely stay lowest on the priority list. Because the elevated parcel
at West Coast Highway and Superior Avenue is difficult to get to and the
possibility for development on the adjacent Banning Ranch property, it is
uncertain whether a joint agreement can provide access to Sunset Ridge.
* June Casagrande covers Newport Beach. She may be reached at (949)
574-4232 or by e-mail at o7 june.casagrande@latimes.comf7 .
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