Finding the fit for Lido Marina takes teamwork

Lido Marina Village screams less for luxury hotels and time-share

condos than perhaps anywhere in Newport Beach, but the latest buzz

suggests such a change might happen.

The area’s businesses are small, quaint and don’t attract much

attention to themselves, so the proposed change sounds like too much

of a 180 to us. The area needs help -- as businesses, however quaint,

that don’t attract shoppers might not be the best-serving businesses

-- but whether it’s help of this magnitude we are not yet sure.

Readers’ responses to the issue have varied from those who support

something as large as a luxury hotel for the area, to those who say

it should be upgraded but not demolished, to those who think nothing

should change.

The middle ground sounds like the best option here.

Lido Marina Village has so much potential to be a hot spot for

shoppers, but as reader Erik Lunde noted, “Even on weekends, the

village is deserted.” With its location and its character -- and with

one of the most charming theaters in Orange County right across the

street -- there’s no reason for it to be as bare as it often is.

Granted, hotels and time-shares will certainly attract more people

and likely make more money, but its village character will be gone.

Owners in the area will have to sell to developers for the project

to fly, which doesn’t look likely now, but the almighty dollar has a

way of changing people’s minds. This is a topic that’s still young,

and the bargaining process could still have a long way to go.

Councilman Steve Bromberg was impressed with the plans he saw,

calling the proposed result “very upscale and very nice-looking.” We

don’t doubt its attractiveness at face value; we just aren’t sure if

it fits.

Let’s hope this issue serves only as a push to get the city to

work together with business owners in Lido Marina Village to spruce

the area up with needs and concerns of all the merchants, patrons and

residents in mind.