Land has more than economic value Newport...

Land has more than economic value

Newport Beach Mayor Tod Ridgeway’s closing comment in the Pilot

article, “Marinapark lease hits new debating ground,” Sept. 28, “A

park has no economic return,” pretty much sums up the basic arguments

for the hotel/fractional unit Marinapark plan. His premise: Any

available land in Newport Beach should provide “economic return.”

Those who agree with that will support Measure L. Those who think

there are values in addition to economic, such as quality-of-life,

parks, open space and less traffic, will oppose Measure L. All of the

red herrings, such as “soccer fields,” distract from the core issue:

Is it right to convert public park land for private profit?

DENNIS BAKER

Corona del Mar

Once property is gone, it

will be tough to retrieve

Will a five-star hotel with 98 rooms for nightly rental and 12 for

sale be able to operate at a profit? Has the City Council

investigated this with any hotel operators?

To be profitable, the staff and amenities required by a five-star

hotel will require more space. The cost of development will not have

adequate operating return on the invested capital. Do we, the

residents of Newport Beach, want to give away this last piece of

property? The operator and the city will be the ones to never see a

return. As current residents, we have a responsibility to preserve

Newport Harbor and the Back Bay, not only for our generation, but for

those to come.

Several years ago, a couple of people fought a really tough fight

to preserve the Upper Back Bay. They are heroes now, and look at the

things that have been created since -- the latest being the nature

center that bears their names.

Now, think about the last remaining open space on the peninsula.

This is irreplaceable property. Once gone, it cannot be retrieved. Do

you want to be responsible for giving it away?

PAT NANGLE

Newport Beach

No on Measure L is

like yes on Measure S

A few years back, the “Greenlight” measure was put on the ballot

for the people of Newport Beach to decide. And boy did they ever --

by an overwhelming “yes.” It was democracy at its best. It was fair

and square.

Greenlight won and the opposition lost. The people of Newport

Beach had spoken. So why did a select group of our elected

councilmen, who should honor and respect the wishes of their

constituents, start whining and complaining about the outcome? At

every public engagement I attended following that election, where

these select group of individuals spoke, they whined and moaned about

Greenlight passing. Enough already!

Now, I’m betting the same electorate that educated itself enough

to vote “yes” on Greenlight has also educated itself enough to vote

“no” on L. You must read the following sentence out loud: It is the

last piece of harbor waterfront that the city of Newport Beach has.

Please read that again.

So, that being said, I am betting that, as a group, we are smarter

than to fall for ridiculously misleading signs like “less traffic”

and “will help Girl Scouts.” If the “Yes on L” camp is already this

misleading, what else do they have in store for us down the road?

DAVID BEEK

Newport Beach

Girl Scout advocacy

wrong on resort plan

The proposed Marinapark development plan includes a renovation of

the Girl Scout house. Suzanne Huffmon Esber, chair of the Girl Scout

Council of Orange County board of directors, wrote that the board

supports Measure L and the Marinapark Resort and Community Plan,

since it “ensures that the girls continue to have these opportunities

well into the future at a new 6,200-square-foot facility, at no cost

to Girl Scout Council (of Orange County).”

For many years, the Girl Scouts have benefited from having the

Girl Scout house on public property, and that use should continue.

However, it goes beyond the pale that they would advocate a zoning

change on public land in order to finance a renovation at no cost

(Also, “Marinapark plan would keep the Girl Scouts going,” Community

Commentary, Oct. 28.) My sister and I were Girl Scouts for a combined

18 years, and visited both the Newport Beach and Laguna Beach Girl

Scout houses. Girl Scouting teaches self reliance and responsibility.

If the board of directors believes a need exists for a new facility,

then it should develop a plan to finance it. When the Girl Scout

Council takes on a building, it must plan for its long-term upkeep

and eventual renovation. It is the Girl Scout Council’s

responsibility, not the public’s.

Girl Scouts are skilled at raising money. As a Girl Scout, I sold

countless boxes of cookies and calendars and participated in car

washes and food booths. The Girl Scout Council could approach alumni

Girl Scouts to help finance the project.

Esber herself must have some misgivings about the Girl Scout

Council of Orange County advocacy of the project, since she felt

obliged to quote the IRS code that allows nonprofits to lobby “to an

insubstantial degree.” Rezoning public property for private

commercial use is a substantial change in use, and a nonprofit group

should not be advocating it in order to accomplish its own aims.

LAURA C. CURRAN

Corona del Mar

Plan for Marinapark

resort a ‘no-brainer’

Christine Dabbs’ Sept. 16 Daily Pilot Community

Commentary(“Alternate plan for Marinapark doesn’t measure up”) is

refreshing if for no other reason than it proves there’s still hope

for a reasonable, fair comparison of the Marinapark plan and the

alternative.

Personally, the alternative plan being peddled by Tom Billings

doesn’t pass my smell test. Think about it. This is the gentleman who

never misses an opportunity to brutalize the Marinapark resort plan,

claiming it is a giveaway of a public asset that will doom the

Peninsula in a traffic quagmire.

I’d argue that his idea to drop a public park with picnic areas, a

soccer field and a boat launch ramp on the site will have a

disastrous traffic impact on the peninsula. Soccer fields have got to

be one of the most intense land uses. And I can see now the wagon

train of boat trailers stacked with SeaDoos rumbling into Newport

Beach from the Inland Empire and the rest of Orange County.

I like the Marinapark plan. It’s an elegant design, provides a

long-term revenue source to the city (certainly not a giveaway),

preserves local public access to the beach and revitalizes

longstanding community assets in the area, such as the American

Legion post and the Girl Scout house.

The choice is a no-brainer.

LINEA OLSON

Newport Beach

Local candidate strikes

resident as disingenuous

After just having read half a page in the Daily Pilot by Eric

Bever, “Councilman, candidate have answers for a divided city,” Oct.

22, I am inclined to share with the public that he has a bunch of

buzzwords in it that caused me to remember that I received a mailer

from him that included proudly, as one of his supporters, Wendy

Leece, who was a thorn in the side of the Newport-Mesa school board

for many years and caused a lot of dissension. And in her absence,

they have developed unanimity and moved forward on lots of positive

things. I’m very concerned that he is masquerading as a concerned

citizen when he’s a right-wing activist and, along with his main

supporters, such as Allan Mansoor, will cause lots of dissension and

disruption on the City Council. I do not think Bever would be a very

mainstream candidate, so please vote for other candidates.

SHARON BOUDREAU

Costa Mesa