River park should be more than a dream

It would exceed the size of New York City’s Central Park. It would

pack 1,000 acres of open land along the Santa Ana River in Costa

Mesa, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach.

And both state Republican and Democratic assemblymen support it --

the dream, that is.

Two proposals at the state and local levels would help build an

Orange Coast River Park to ensure the preservation of the land along

the Santa Ana River while also providing open land to Orange County

residents.

The state Assembly bill would create a wild lands conservancy to

manage the land alongside the river to increase parklands and open

space for residents.

If that bill succeeds, that conservancy would be able to help

residents proposing the $10- to $20-million Orange Coast River Park

But talk is cheap. The park has been in discussion since the late

1990s and remains just that.

It’s a wonderful dream that most would love to see realized, but

it needs support from each of the three cities, the county and

private companies that own some of the land.

So far, by a 3-2 vote -- with Newport-Mesa Supervisor Jim Silva

among the majority -- the county board of supervisors disapproved of

the Assembly bill, saying it would simply create more bureaucracy in

the form of a state conservancy.

The county and Silva should then come up with its own plan or

group to aid those residents pushing the Orange Coast River Park.

It’s a dream worth pursuing and if the county has a better idea, then

it should bring it forth and rally support for it.

At the same time, the cities involved need to support the park

plan and join others to make it happen. There are many grants out

there that can reduce the costs at the local level.

Less than $20 million from the county and cities to bring

Newport-Mesa, Huntington and other county residents a great park

doesn’t seem that much to ask. There have been countless other

unworthy projects that benefit far fewer people that have received

such funding amounts.

It’s a great idea. Now make it happen.