Newport / Costa Mesa / Irvine : NEWPORT BEACH : $120,000 Allocated for Park Development
The City Council has earmarked $120,000 to plan and design several parks, but another $1.2 million for actual park construction remains to be allocated.
The council’s appropriation calls for $50,000 to plan community and view parks citywide, to be built with assessment district funds, and $70,000 to design Upper Castaways Park.
The park will be built on about 4 3/4 acres next to the Upper Castaways gated community for which the Irvine Co. received Planning Commission approval Thursday. It is slated to include two baseball diamonds, soccer fields, restrooms and a parking area.
The development will be a 119-home community off Dover Drive. The Irvine Co. has agreed to donate about 30 1/2 acres of parkland in that area to the city. Some will be kept in a natural state, and some will be used for a view park.
Funding for the parks comes from in-lieu park fees paid by developers when their land is subdivided.
The city has 11 park service areas, and the parks must be built or improved in the same area as the development for which fees are paid. However, site designations may be transferred from one area to another depending on need.
Community parks are those with recreational facilities such as courts, playgrounds and community buildings. View parks are smaller areas with fewer improvements, generally constructed on the edge of a development to preserve open space.
The council delayed a decision on spending the park construction funds pending a review of development priorities.
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