Council to reconsider vote on park land

The Newport Beach City Council will rethink its February decision to move ahead with a park planned next to the central library, city officials said Tuesday.

Council members decided Monday night to reconsider the park decision because city parks commissioner Debra Allen, who participated in decisions about the design of Newport Center Park, lives within 500 feet of the park property, City Atty. Robin Clauson said.

State Fair Political Practices Commission rules say there could be a conflict of interest if an official votes on a project but also owns property within 500 feet of the project site.

The council has had trouble deciding where to build a new city hall, but the Feb. 27 decision seemed to settle that it wouldn’t be at the park. Now plans for the park may be reconsidered.

“What they [council members] want to do is send it back to the [parks, beaches and recreation] commission for them to review the decision they made in regards to the design of the park, whether it’s an active park or a passive park, and those kind of things,” Clauson said.

Allen said she believes the city’s measurement from her house to the park is wrong, and she may have a survey done to prove it.

“Every member of the City Council, many past members of the City Council and many members of the staff have been to my house,” she said. “No one has ever suggested I live too close, that we should get out a map.”

The city’s Geographic Information System maps show Allen’s property is about 375 feet from the park, but she argues there’s a discrepancy in the mapping because she lives on a hill. She believes she’s at least 100 feet farther away.

Reconsidering the decision on the park doesn’t necessarily put the site back on the table as a possible city hall location, an option the council has rejected three times. But the city hall issue could be raised again.

Mayor Steve Rosansky said there’s still interest in the park site for a city hall, but that’s not part of the discussion now. Officials will have to figure out how far to turn back the clock on the park plans, he said.

“Does that mean we need to go back and actually redo the outreach to the community?” he said. “Part of that will depend on how involved Debra [Allen] was in those discussions.”

Clauson said she checked into the issue after someone in the community asked a council member about it. Allen said she wonders why it’s just coming up now, after she’s worked on the parks commission for seven years.

“It reminds me of the old saying ‘no good deed goes unpunished,’ ” she said.

The council will consider rescinding the park vote at its meeting Tuesday.