Commissioner criticizes council before park vote

NEWPORT BEACH -- City Parks Commissioner Debra Allen told the City Council Tuesday she does not have a conflict of interest that should have prevented her from making decisions about a park planned next to the city’s central library.

The council was debating whether to halt plans for Newport Center Park after learning Allen, who lobbied for the park and participated in designing it, could have a conflict of interest. City Atty. Robin Clauson has said Allen lives within 500 feet of the park, which could create a conflict under state Fair Political Practices Commission rules.

At press time, the council had not voted on whether to rescind a Feb. 27 decision to proceed with building the park.

“I’m very disappointed by the way this whole thing has been handled,” Allen told the council. She said she had gotten an appraisal of her property that showed, “nothing that can be built in Newport Center Park can have any effect on my property at all.”

Allen criticized city officials for sending out a news release about the possible conflict without talking to her first.

“I have no conflict of interest, but what really disturbs me is you should have heard my side of the story before you put out that press release, which has irreparably damaged my reputation in the community.”

Newport Center Park has been dedicated as parkland. The parcel has been suggested as a site for a new city hall, but the council has rejected that proposal in three separate votes.

The council was considering whether to backtrack in the park-planning process because of Allen’s participation, but it’s unclear how far back in the process they would want to go.

A decision to put the park plans on hold would not reopen consideration of the city hall on the park’s site. But some residents are holding out hope that it would still be considered, while others think it may have been the motivation for bringing up the conflict of interest.