HUNTINGTON BEACH : Council Won’t Place Park Issue on Ballot

The City Council decided Monday night that a group opposed to building a new golf course in Huntington Central Park will need a successful petition drive to put the issue on the ballot.

By a 5-2 vote, the council decided not to place the proposal by the group Save Our Parks on next year’s ballot. The proposed ballot measure would require voters to approve a future golf course or other large-scale commercial use of Huntington Beach parks and beaches.

If the council had placed the measure on the ballot, the group would have been spared a petition drive.

The vote came as no surprise to Deborah A. Cook, the leader of the grass-roots Save Our Parks. Monday’s vote was identical to September’s council vote to build an 18-hole golf course in an undeveloped part of Central Park.

Both times, council members Grace Winchell and Peter M. Green cast the dissenting votes. The council considered placing the park measure on the ballot Monday at Winchell’s request.

Under the proposed ballot measure, the city would have to seek voter approval before selling parkland or building a golf course or other structure costing more than $100,000 on a public park or beach.

Members of Save Our Parks got the idea of circulating a petition after the City Council approved the golf course in September, Cook said.

Save Our Parks has a cadre of volunteers waiting to circulate the petition once the city attorney approves the wording and prepares a summary, she said.