EDITORIALS:Council must take the lead to find a suitable city hall

People who one day want to walk through native vegetation in a park above Newport’s Central Library won a victory last week when the City Council decided there will be no city hall built on that now-empty land. But people who want a civic center in Newport Center haven’t lost the fight yet, either.

The council, following strong public input during the past month about where a new city hall should be built, decided to nix a proposal for a new city hall on part of that land, which long has been set aside for a “passive” park. But rather than deciding to go ahead with plans to rebuild city hall at its present Balboa Peninsula location, the council voted to take a look at whether the land where the police station is on Santa Barbara Drive would make a fitting civic center location.

We have said before that we hope the City Council will consider seriously and honestly what the best location for a new city hall is ? nothing more or less. And we think the council’s decision on Tuesday shows they are doing just that, if for no other reason than the council has not taken the politically easy road. Instead, given that city staff study of the police station site will take two to three months, council members ? including five who are running for office in November ? have created a sure-fire issue for the fall campaign.

Now, almost certainly the city hall debate would have ended up one of the main issues in the campaign, along with the proposed Greenlight II initiative and the update to the city’s general plan. But a decision on city hall would have put that issue, largely, to rest ? or at least make debate on the point moot. Now, council candidates will be able to argue the pros and cons of moving city hall. (Side note: They should argue this point. It involves millions of city dollars and will set the tone for civic government for decades to come.) It will be a campaign issue ? and no incumbent wants to give opponents such issues.

The council also seems to have heard the loud cry from many people in the community who want the civic center to be more centrally located. Taking a look at the police station site ? again, giving it honest consideration ? is the right thing to do given the public opinion. Many people think such a location is the best for the city, and the council is right to be deciding if that is the case.

If it is, they also should be willing to say so, take a vote and move city hall.