Mariners library proposal heads to state level

Deirdre Newman

NEWPORT BEACH -- A proposal to build a joint school-public library

next to Mariners Elementary School inched closer to reality Tuesday

despite lingering concerns about the safety of mixing elementary school

children with the general public in such a facility.

Both the school board and the Newport Beach City Council on Tuesday

approved the proposal, which now will go to the state to compete with

other joint-use projects for funding. If selected by the state, the

proposal will receive $2 million in funding.

The proposal calls for a one-story, about 15,000-square-foot library

closer to the school than the existing branch library on Irvine Avenue.

Teachers would escort students to the facility.

Because of security concerns voiced by some residents, myriad measures

have been incorporated into the design, including a roll-down door to

separate the student section from the public children’s section.

Tuesday’s votes were contingent on the community raising $1 million to

qualify for the state funds. Supporters, who raised more than that amount

in just three months, were ecstatic over the decision.

“I’m thrilled,” said Theresa Chase, co-chairwoman for the Committee to

Build the New Mariners Library. “We’re going to get our new library that

everyone needs and deserves.”

But opponents, whose numbers have grown to nearly 300, according to a

petition presented to school trustees Tuesday, asked the Newport-Mesa

Unified School District board to table the issue to buy more time to

study alternatives to the joint-use proposal, including renovating both

facilities. They say there are still risks that have not been addressed.

“By the principal’s own admission, there already exists a lack of

security on the Mariners school campus,” said Meg Harrison, a Mariners

parent. “If we agree that we have an unsafe campus, do we want to attract

more public to our site?”

The school board passed the proposal 6 to 1, with Wendy Leece

dissenting. Many of the trustees said they were satisfied the safety

concerns had been alleviated.

“I think the [community] input really has enhanced the process,”

trustee Jim Ferryman said. “I share a lot of the security concerns with

people who spoke here tonight. I think security will be a lot stronger

with the new library than now.”

The City Council also approved the proposal. Council members, who

voted 7 to 0 in favor of the project, lauded the new library as a

state-of-the-art replacement for an aging and cramped facility.

“The current building, to me, looks like a Third World shack,”

Councilman Gary Adams said. “Who wouldn’t be thrilled about this

proposal?”

The idea for the school-public library was hatched last year to take

advantage of Proposition 14 funds that pay for joint-use projects of

separate agencies. Mariners school was chosen because of its close

proximity to the branch library, which city officials say is in serious

need of renovation.

As the design stands now, the children’s section will encompass a

3,700-square-foot area. Mariners students will have the secured use of an

area inside this section about 30 hours per week. They will access the

area through a separate school entrance. General public access to the

school part of the children’s section will also be available through the

school entrance as long as visitors sign in and obtain authorization at

the school office.

The existing safety precautions include the partition separating the

students from the public, a separate entrance, separate bathrooms in the

children’s sections, video cameras and a security patrol.

The proposal will join other joint-use proposals from throughout the

state that total more than $2 billion to compete for a share of the $350

million Proposition 14 makes available.

* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 deirdre.newman@latimes.comf7 .

* Paul Clinton contributed to this report.