READERS RESPOND

I want the city hall as suggested by Bill Ficker’s plan. I hope that a lot of people answer so that you get a good feeling of the community’s wishes.

MRS. ROBERT HALL

Newport Beach

Congratulations, Bill Ficker, on your plan to use the 12 acres adjacent to the library for the new city hall that would save us taxpayers millions of dollars. A free city hall and a convenient location. I do not see any environmental problems. Let’s be practical for a change. Those other parks are barely used now.

GRACE DEUTSCH

Corona del Mar

I think the plan was the first proposed that makes any sense at all. I think it is a shame that we have to be ruled by a minority of environmentalists when this makes sense in terms of its being centrally located and not costing money.

There are probably myriad other positive reasons it should be located there.

CAROL WINN

Newport Beach

I think that might be a nice place for it, but my concern is what is going to go on the old site? What developing plans are there for that site? We don’t want more bars.

MILLICENT RHOADES

Newport Beach

I think Bill Ficker’s idea is absolutely wonderful. The park plan will probably never be built, and we will end up with another difficult-to-access, city-maintained weed farm.

JOHN VULTEE

Newport Beach

The city should find a development site, or better yet a redevelopment site, for a new city hall, but not a view park site.

Developing a view park site that the city previously required to be dedicated as open space as a condition of approval for another development project is certainly not in the public’s interest.

GEOFFREY STEVENS

Newport Beach

I voted for Greenlight. I vote for a park at Marinapark. In order for a park to be properly used, a certain portion of the population needs to be able to walk to it. The park at the top of Jamboree is an example. As Dick Stevens pointed out in his letter, you never see anyone there. Children would be there regardless of the aesthetics if they could walk there ? but Jamboree, Coast Highway and the Dunes stand between any housing and that park. Avocado Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard would isolate a park from local pedestrian use at the Central Library. We have an isolated park ? develop that for whatever use the Central Library park was designated for.

Times change, priorities change, constraints change. The city of Newport Beach needs to be able to change with the facts as they are today. The fact is that Bill Ficker’s plan is a great one. The facts are that there is traffic, geologic and cost considerations that make the current location unsuitable. In the past two weeks ago I have learned that an earthquake fault runs near the current City Hall, which makes the necessity of a geological study imperative before building anywhere.

I love parks ? call me a tree hugger ? but call me practical as well.

CAROLYN L. CARR

Balboa Island

The current location for City Hall is perfect. Using part of the last open space as an alternative, just to have an alternative, seems to be a case of government looking for time-consuming activities.

My vote is to keep Newport Center Park as a park, not as an area to build another monument to our generation.

PAUL BARTLAU

Newport Beach

Please be advised that I am opposed to the relocation of City Hall to the designated park area above the main library.

BRUCE BEARDSLEY

Corona Del Mar

The location adjacent to the library makes much more sense than anything the city’s search committee came up with.

GEORGE BISSELL

Newport Beach

A city update letter of June 12 mailed to residents from City Manager Homer Bludau makes reference to a policy in the “Land Use” section of the draft general plan update to “Protect public views and open space.” The taking of park property for use as a city hall sight is inconsistent with more than one area of our draft general plan update. The idea that we can take this land and somehow there will appear open space in other parts of the city to offset this loss is not realistic.

Though I would like to see a new city hall located more centrally and less vulnerable to natural disaster, I see no way to justify the taking of dedicated open space for this purpose. Lest we forget, the property was provided to the city by the Irvine Co. so that they could build on other open land within the city. Now that the city wants to buy some land more appropriate for a new city hall (in Newport Center), the Irvine Co. doesn’t want to sell. Perhaps eminent domain acquisition has a legitimate use here.

DENNIS BAKER

Corona del Mar

It never ceases to amaze me how there is always someone who wants to stir the pot after the fact. The area is designated as open space. Plain and simple. Lets not waste taxpayer money by revisiting a closed issue.

BEVERLEY “B.J.” JOHNSON

Corona del Mar

On behalf of the 146 homeowners in Harbor View Hills, a view community overlooking the site in question, I am requesting that the Newport Beach City Council retain the current designation of passive park for the property known as Newport Center Park. Alternative uses for this property have been floated before, and the council has wisely chosen to retain the park designation. For the benefit of the residents of Newport Beach and Corona del Mar, please continue to do so.

BUD VOLBERDING

Corona del Mar

The people have already voiced their wishes that Newport Center Park be designated as a park. The green spaces that make our city beautiful are gradually disappearing, and this very special piece of land should be preserved as a park for everyone to enjoy. We should not allow the takeover of Newport Center Park as a site for more building.

BETTYE BUTTERWORTH

Corona del Mardpt.29-readers-CPhotoInfoQU1SEOVR20060629ihowptkn(LA)A rendering shows part of the plan for a park near Newport’s Central Library. The council will now consider that site for a new city hall.