Public plays name game with park

Alicia Robinson

The Avocado Bowl sounds like some sort of championship sports match,

and who knows what goes on at the Grunion Grounds -- fish spawning?

Actually, those two names are among a whopping 425 suggestions

from the public for what to call a still-undeveloped 12-acre park

adjacent to Newport Beach’s Central Library. The city’s Parks,

Beaches and Recreation Commission will choose tonight from a short

list of three names and send their pick to the City Council for

approval on June 14.

A parks commission subcommittee whittled the extensive list,

leaving Centennial Park, Newport Beach Central Park and Newport

Central Park as possible park names. But the complete list runs the

gamut from the simple and generic -- Library Park or Park 2005 -- to

names that would require a sign nearly as long as the park, such as

Hilltop Coastline Vista Amphitheater Park.

A few choices were whimsical -- Garden Spot of the World Park and

Newport Beach Center of Culture -- and many of the ideas used the

city’s name or mentioned the ocean, the view or the library.

In fact, a majority of the suggestions came from one source. The

last time the city named a park, Gary McEachen submitted about half

of the 120 ideas that came in, and he had his thinking cap on this

time around as well. He contributed about 300 of the 425 names the

city received, Newport Beach recreation and senior services director

Marie Knight said.

“Some of them were even alphabetized,” she said.

Although the park has not been developed, the city has a

conceptual plan for a largely passive park with an open meadow,

walking trails around the perimeter, an area with native plants, and

a circular arbor area with seating. A 128-space parking lot will

serve the park as well as the library, which Knight said is in dire

need of more parking.

Bernie Svalstad is heading a committee that formed to privately

raise most of the $1.2 million needed to build the park plan.

“We’re going to have plaques and names on trees and benches, and

we have some circular arbor areas that we’re going to be naming for

people that donate certain amounts of money,” Svalstad said.

The committee will kick off fundraising efforts, including a

website, in July. Knight said the city is seeking grants to pay for

restoring native plants in the park, and people may be able to

sponsor smaller garden areas within the park.

For more information on the park plans visit the city website at

https://www.city.newport-beach.ca.us and click on Newport Village Park

under the “projects” tab.