Senator pitches project support
Alicia Robinson
State Sen. John Campbell has proposed legislation that would turn
over to a nonprofit organization the cottage restoration project and
future historic district operations at Crystal Cove State Park.
In May, Campbell announced he’d like to see a private, nonprofit
group take over an ongoing project to restore 46 historic cottages,
most of which would be available to the public. The senator has been
critical of how long the state has taken to work on the project,
which is over budget and behind schedule.
So far, the state parks department has spent more than $12 million
to restore the 22 cottages in the project’s first phase, and parks
officials recently asked for another $2 million to finish it.
Completing the second phase could cost another $15 million, and
the state doesn’t have the money for it, Campbell said.
“I think a nonprofit organization can raise the money from private
sources and other sources to finish the job,” Campbell said.
“Otherwise I think the facility will sit there -- probably for a
number of years -- not being completed, and the public still won’t be
able to use it.”
The state has allowed a nonprofit group to manage a historic park
property in Santa Barbara, and that partnership has been successful,
Campbell said.
Campbell’s proposal would only affect the Crystal Cove historic
district and would not include the disputed El Morro Village
mobile-home park.
Meanwhile, the state parks department today planned to request
bids to handle concessions at two restaurants and run 13 cottages at
the park, spokesman Roy Stearns said.
The bidding is open to everyone, including for-profit groups, with
a Sept. 21 bid deadline. State law requires the parks department to
follow an open bidding process, but it could be preempted if
Campbell’s bill is passed, Stearns said.
“We feel we have to go ahead because if we were to delay and
something happens to Campbell’s bill, we would be just that much
further behind,” he said.
Campbell’s bill would require the state to sign an agreement with
a nonprofit group to oversee the historic cottage renovations. The
group’s board of directors would include members of the Laguna Beach
and Newport Beach city councils and the Orange County Supervisor for
the 5th District, which contains the state park.
The Crystal Cove Alliance already has partnered with the state to
raise money for the historic district. The group is interested in
taking over the project, but it objects to including elected
officials on its board, the alliance said in a statement.
“We believe that these individuals are best included on an
advisory board or in some other ex-officio capacity, where they will
not be voting on organizational matters,” the statement said.
Campbell expects the bill to be heard Tuesday by the Senate
Natural Resources Committee.
* ALICIA ROBINSON covers government and politics. She can be
reached at (714) 966-4626 or by e-mail at
alicia.robinson@latimes.com.
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