NEWPORT BEACH : Park Advisory Idea Draws Enthusiasm
More than 130 people attended a kickoff meeting this week for those interested in joining a Citizen’s Advisory Committee for the planned 114-acre regional park in Upper Newport Bay.
Keith Coolidge, a spokesman for the County Environmental Management Agency, said this is the first time the county has formed a citizen’s advisory committee for a county park.
“We want the public’s input as to what they want and don’t want,” said Bob Fisher, director of harbors, beaches and parks for Orange County.
The property, located near the northwest corner of University Drive and Irvine Boulevard and next to the state ecological reserve, is the first regional park to be constructed in Newport Beach. The land, which was donated to the county in exchange for nearby commercial and residential developments, represents the last remaining Irvine Co. land along the bay.
County officials are working closely with the city, state and Department of Fish and Game to preserve the natural wildlife and vegetation of the area. Preliminary plans include a Nature Interpretive Center and expansion of the existing hiking, bicycle and equestrian trails. The park will not have baseball or soccer fields, Fisher said.
The County Board of Supervisors has hired a landscape architect and urban planning group to design the park. After meetings with residents, ecological groups, the city and the county, a master development plan should be finished by December.
Actual work on the $2.1-million project isn’t scheduled to begin for at least two years.
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