Tel Phil started Market Place, Tel Phil...

Tel Phil started Market Place, Tel Phil should run it

With regard to the Orange County Fair Board opening the Market

Place operation to so-called competitive bidding.

This action demonstrates a typical government mind set. Being

unable to exercise creativity in the use of resources, the board can

only try to cheapen a prosperous, ongoing business by substituting a

lower bidder mentality for one ongoing change and improvement.

Without Tel Phil Enterprises’ inventiveness and creativity, the

Market Place would not exist. Don’t mess with success; leave the

Market Place management and operation with Tel Phil Enterprises.

PETER J. and LINDA L. OETH

Costa Mesa

An alternative to Marinapark proposal

I submit an alternate plan for the proposed, and controversial,

Marinapark hotel. I think this is a much better plan, as it keeps the

traffic off the peninsula.

We have an area of town that needs to be torn down and rebuilt. It

is known as Lido Village, and it has a large marina also in need of

replacement. The reason I say it needs to be rebuilt is that it

doesn’t conform to new standards and it is brick, so it is hard to

reinforce. The parking structure may be able to be saved after it has

had support pilings installed under it.

This site would make a perfect resort because the existing

six-floor office/nightclub building at the south end would make

perfect hotel rooms. The village itself could still have waterfront

restaurants, but with private suites above, catered by the

restaurants below. You could have a couple of conference rooms, too.

The office building immediately next to the Arches Bridge could have

hotel rooms, also.

This would provide a “shot in the arm” to the economies of the

theater, market, drug store and charter boat business. The old Bank

of America building would make a great lobby and already has a vault

for hotel security and safety deposit boxes.

This location is close to the oceanfront and is on the harbor. It

is zoned for medium to dense traffic and close to Coast Highway and

the Costa Mesa Freeway.

If the city needs more money, then instead of building a

$30-million city hall, sell the property and the resort could wrap

around the shopping center. You could even build the parking

structure the city has proposed and have that much more revenue.

City administrative offices could move to the non-harbor-front

rooms in the building next to the Arches Bridge. City Council

meetings could be held in one of the resort’s many conference rooms.

Now, instead of a new City Hall costing us $30 million, we receive

money for the property. Everybody wins.

The Marinapark site should be developed into a youth and senior

citizen sailing center; after all, the city of Newport Beach does

conduct sailing classes from this beach.

Tennis courts could be reconditioned; add some basketball courts

and rebuild the kids playground area.

If there must be some kind of income from this site, parking

meters can accomplish it.

Let’s not lose one of the last harbor-front open spaces. Once it’s

gone, the people will never get it back.

Maybe we could even bring back lawn bowling here.

LARRY BARRETT

Newport Beach

Commentary bridged the issue perfectly

The commentary by Eric Bever published in the July 29 Daily Pilot

is the best discussion about the 19th Street bridge I have seen

(“Quality of life the issue with Santa Ana River bridges”).

Anyone who did not read and understand it should look back to that

issue to read it. The construction of the 19th Street bridge should

be done as soon as possible.

MEL RICHLEY

Costa Mesa