Marinapark plans get tentative OK from American Legion

The city of Newport Beach can move forward with plans for Marinapark with tentative support from American Legion Post 291, legion members decided Wednesday.

But city officials may still have to tweak the plan for a public park and marina where it involves the legion’s property to get post members’ unqualified blessing.

Arriving at a plan for Marinapark, a 9.8-acre, city-owned property fronting the bay, has taken years. An earlier City Council voted to develop a luxury hotel on the property, but voters turned that plan down in 2004.

The proposal that’s now on the table would create about 30 boat slips and a 200-foot dock for visiting boats, build an aquatic facility and community center, rebuild the existing Girl Scout house, add 94 parking spaces and reconfigure some of the American Legion’s amenities.

Costs have not yet been estimated, but City Councilman Ed Selich said they could be in the ballpark of $12 million to $16 million. The city would likely seek state grants for the marina and cover park costs out of the general fund, and the Girl Scouts will chip in for their facility, he said.

But the proposal isn’t final yet. The City Council must approve the concept and funding, and legion officials are waiting to see a more detailed proposal before they sign off on it. Legion members on Thursday agreed to send a letter to the city supporting the concept for Marinapark, but they still have concerns about the changes that would be made to their facilities, said Dave Lambert, a member of the post’s executive committee.

“The basic concern to the legion is the loss of bay-front property and the loss of [boat] slips, because that’s a major source of revenue,” he said.

The city has promised the legion would not lose anything by the deal, but post members are still skeptical.

Earlier Thursday, Tom Billings of Protect Our Parks — the group that led the fight against the hotel plan and helped design the park — said he was excited the see Marinapark plans moving forward, and Selich agreed.

But progress likely will not be swift. In addition to negotiating with the legion, the city will have to deal with lawsuits from the developer whose hotel plan was thwarted and residents of the mobile homes who occupy the property.