The long wait for access to Crystal Cove must cease

The public has waited a long time for the day when the cottages at

Crystal Cove will be open to be enjoyed as the previous tenants did

for so many years.

And state parks officials need to ensure that day is not off, even

as squabbles over this oceanfront parkland continue.

Former Crystal Cove residents -- like those at El Morro today,

where mobile-home tenants are fighting to stay on state lands --

clung on to all hope that they could live forever in their historic

bungalows perched on beachfront paradise.

But, like it should ultimately be with El Morro, the residents of

Crystal Cove relinquished the land to its rightful owners: the

taxpayers of California.

The El Morro residents, however, have tried to pull off numerous

attempts to muddy the process and stake their claim to land they

don’t own.

Assemblyman Chuck DeVore was a recent willing accomplice in their

fight, but thankfully his misguided plans to extend the leases at El

Morro for 30 years have gone down in flames.

So when state Sen. John Campbell entered the fray with a pitch to

put the historic Crystal Cove cottages and El Morro parkland under

the operation of a private nonprofit group instead of the state parks

department, naturally many became skeptical that this may be yet

another Trojan horse by the El Morro crew.

Campbell’s target this time is the cost overruns incurred by state

parks officials who missed a March deadline to restore and open up

about half the historic cottages, which will then be rented to the

public for nightly stays.

State parks officials say they need an additional $2 million, on

top of the $12 million already spent, and now say it won’t be until

October when the 22 cottages will open.

After meeting with members of the Crystal Cove Alliance, led by

former cove resident Laura Davick, Campbell altered his plan and is

now saying that the nonprofit should not run the park but just the

cottages.

It’s unfortunate that state parks officials have left themselves

vulnerable to such criticism, but let’s also be clear that missed

deadlines and cost overruns like these are nothing new in public or

private construction.

Still, state parks officials should look into the merit of

Campbell’s idea for management of the cottages only. The Crystal Cove

finances need to become a nonissue. And perhaps a nonprofit can make

that happen.

Either way, the goal for Crystal Cove and El Morro needs to be

clear.

Residents from the entire state of California need to have their

day in the Crystal Cove and El Morro sun and, at long last, enjoy the

same pristine, parkland beauty and waterfront living that’s been

largely limited to a fortunate few.