At this morning’s Principles over Politics meeting we learned of a pending action by the city of Newport Beach that warrants exposure and grass roots opposition. How quickly we ignore those who served to protect our country. In fact if I am not mistaken didn’t we celebrate Veterans Day last Saturday?
The attached report is from Ron Winship, Producer of the Cutting Edge a talk show, who is very familiar with the history of this American Legion Post. Let me urge the readers to spread the word especially to our military colleagues and relatives.
Ron wrote the political Report for Post 291 for over 10 years.
“Currently, there is some concern that the integrity of the Post is at odds with it’s initial intent…for Veterans all over Orange County.
Let’s put it clearly, Post 291 has the ONLY Legion Yacht Club in the
country. This land sits on Federal Tidelands, State Tidelands and
some City Property. It has been “Grandfathered” for the express
purpose of an American Legion Post. Right now there is a power
grab going on to create a City Yacht Basin at the end of 15th St.
The details suggest that the Legion Post will be giving up it’s
Memorial Park and Parking facilities in order to assure an
extension of its lease with the City of Newport Beach.
Due to the eviction of the people from the Trailer Park………and
some concession by the City to assure that the Girl Scout House
maintains a facility…..and that the Sutherland Hotel Complex and
Marina was voted down 2 to 1 in an authorized election……there
is now machinations afoot to circumvent the will of the people
and create a “Greater Marina…that would abutt or may abutt
the Legion Yacht Club property. In exchange, veterans from
around the county will lose their current parking and be prevented
from parking near the Legion Yacht Club. Many of these veterans
are disabled and will be greatly inconvenienced. Additionally, we
believe this is an illegal act by the City in a “taking sense”. By
forcing the current leadership of the Legion to abide by this flawed
agreement…….great harm will be done to the Legion Membership
and the citizenry at large. Many of our current veterans are now
returning from Iraq with serious injuries and disabilities and this
situation would be unconscionable. We request that the City
seek outside counsel….to evaluate any New Lease Agreement
and ask that the city seek “Mitagation Measures” that will do no
harm to the Legion property or its membership. Paving over the
Memorial Park property is a desecration of those buried there and
those who have served as brothers in arms.”
Note: The following rebuttal was emailed to me by the Newport Beach Assistant City Manager who granted me permission to post it on his behalf.
Mr. Gilbert and Mr. Winship —
I read Ron’s summary with interest on Saturday. I apologize that I waited until today to write, because that may have allowed more time to pass and thus allowed more doubt to be sowed in your readers’ minds. I’m afraid that I don’t see the same things that Ron sees in his analysis of this project. Maybe I am wrong in that — if so, I welcome the corrections.
First, the proposed “Park + Marina Plan” for Marina Park was a negotiation involving three members of the NB City Council, the “Protect our Parks” (POP) folks (the ones who led the campaign against the Sutherland proposal), two representatives of the Harbor Commission, and representatives from the Legion and the Girl Scout Council. Given the involvement of the Legion’s executive committee, the Girl Scouts, and the POP folks, I struggle with how it can be called a “power grab.”
The plan is at its earliest stages — the Council (at a public meeting with a noticed, Brown Act agenda) merely said to take the concept drawings, refine them, and bring them through an additional public process. They also set up a Design Committee with representatives from the neighborhood, the Legion, POP, and others. This design committee will be a Brown Act committee, with all meetings open to the public.
I don’t see how any of this “circumvents the will of the people.” The people didn’t want the Sutherland hotel proposal. Many who opposed the hotel said “we want a park there” and got behind POP and POP’s “Window on the Bay” proposal. This Park + Marina Plan has the entirety of the POP proposal within it.
Contrary to what Ron wrote:
(a) Marina Park is partially on City land and partially on state tidelands. No federal lands are involved.
(b) Nothing has been “grandfathered” — I’m afraid I don’t know what you are referring to here. The Legion has a long-term lease with the City. The City Council likes having the Legion there and believes that the Legion Hall and the Legion’s marina are/is a great use of that property.
(c) The proposed Plan does not change the Legion Hall at all. The plan affects the parking lot (by moving the lot a few dozen feet to the east) and the City-owned (not Legion-owned) Veterans Park that sits between the current Legion parking lot and 15th Street. Sometimes the Legion does use this grassy park for overflow parking, but only during special Legion events. The Legion itself is required to perform upgrades to the Legion Hall as a part of the most recent lease agreement.
(d) The proposed parking lot has more spaces than the current parking lot — and it keeps it right there next to the side of the Legion Hall (no disabled folks nor non-disabled folks will lose parking close to the building).
(e) DOES reduce the size of the City-owned Veterans Park near the Hall, but it also builds a much larger park about 200′ away from the Legion Hall (including more parking there) — I would expect the Legion to put on larger special events and use this brand new park (and the extra parking).
(f) Does all this at no expense nor net revenue loss to the Legion. The Legion keeps control over (and revenue from) its marina.
(g) With regards to “paving over the Memorial (sic) Park property … and a desecration to those buried there…”, there are no people buried at Veterans Park. In fact, there was a time not too long ago when that park was home to the NB Lawn Bowling Association. Lawn Bowling and the Legion operated side-by-side for many years. Lawn Bowling moved up to Crown Drive (near San Joaquin Hills Road) to get away from the salt air that would affect their turf. I guess Ron is referring to people who may have scattered ashes at Veterans Park. No one is authorized to do this. I’d note again that today, the Legion parks cars on Veterans Park when the Legion has special events.
The reason that the parking lot is moved towards the Veterans Park area is, indeed, to accommodate a new marina between the existing Legion facilities and the new park (not at the end of 15th Street, as Ron suggests). This is a marina that many people think the harbor needs — not one for more people to store big boats permanently, but an entirely visitor-serving short-term stay marina (30 days or less), so that people from up and down the West Coast can stop by and visit Newport Harbor from the water. It’s moderately-sized — smaller than our own Balboa Yacht Basin, and will likely hold about 40-50 boats at any one time.
Everyone involved seemed to like the plan. However, the Legion has reserved the right to withhold their consent to the plan as the details are drawn up. Indeed, any amendment to their existing lease requires their consent. No one is forcing the Legion to agree to the change in its parking lot and to the City-owned (sorry, I feel like I have to keep stressing that…) Veterans Park.
Please look at the Concept Plan and view the history of this discussion (including staff reports) on the City’s website (http://www.city.newport-beach.ca.us/marinapark.html)
Thanks for listening. I would appreciate any comments or questions you may have about my response or the proposal in general. As a wise someone once said, “how can we have a debate if we can’t agree upon the facts?” Let us at least work to agree upon the facts.
Sincerely,
Dave Kiff
Assistant City Manager
City of Newport Beach