NEWPORT BEACH : A Big Victory for Small but Loved Park

Jack Alward’s walk in the park Wednesday was something to savor.

“Twenty-six years ago, when my wife and I moved in, this was nothing more than a weed-choked lot. I remember snaking hoses over our fences to care for trees that we had planted then. Some now stand over 35 feet tall,” Alward said, surveying the 30-by-100-foot parcel nicknamed “People’s Park” in Newport Beach.

Don’t look for benches at this park because there are none. Nor are there water fountains or children’s slides. Although in a wealthy city, the park is a simple place--and a work of love for residents who live near it.

In the aftermath of Tuesday’s election, amid heady county topics such as transportation and gay rights, a small parcel of city-owned land was hardly the center of widespread attention. But to Alward and dozens of his neighbors in west Newport Beach, who joined in the battle to stop the city from selling their little bit of paradise, the campaign victory by a mere 358 votes, out of 12,586 votes cast, was sweet.

“I think that as cities grow, the residents find that their environment becomes congested and they seek a balance to have some open space, even a small, shady area,” said City Council member Jean Watt, who joined with the neighbors and fought to retain the mini-park.

The mini-park sits on scenic bay-front real estate and was appraised at $350,000. The land’s value, neighbors said, prompted its proposed sale as surplus property. The proposal was approved by both the city Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission and the City Council.

Watt said the battle “was ironic” in view of the city trying to find park sites.

“Here we’re always trying to get money for parks throughout the city, and we had an opportunity to preserve one, but the city didn’t want to do that,” Watt said.

The parcel was privately owned, but the city took it over in 1936 after its owner failed to pay property taxes, city officials said. When the city neglected to maintain it, neighbors planted trees and have kept up the rustic site to this day.

People’s Park is barely 1/10th the size of most other parks, said Ronald Whitley, parks, beaches and recreation director.

Whitley was unsure how soon People’s Park would be included as a park in the city’s general plan. If approved, however, he believed that city enhancements would not be well-received by the residents who prefer the mini-park’s rustic look.

So fervent are neighbors about preserving their park that Whitley joked that if he had proposed to transform the park into a boat launch, “I would probably get strung up on a nearby tree.”

As for Alward, the mini-park is perfect for strolling, especially for his grandchildren, who prefer the tree-filled parcel to a nearby public park.

“My grandchildren have already done quite a bit of walking down here,” Alward said, “and it’s my hope that someday my great grandchildren will enjoy this park too.”