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.