Council Rejects Buying Surplus Land for Gym

Rejecting a recommendation from the Parks, Beach and Recreation Commission, the City Council this week voted against purchasing a parcel of land from the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

The commission had recommended buying the 48,000-square-foot property at 1601 E. 16th St. as the site for a gymnasium to meet the heavy demand for indoor recreation activities.

City officials said the district’s property, a surplus parcel, was appraised at about $800,000 and estimated the cost of building a gym at more than $2 million.

But in a 4-2 vote, with Mayor John W. Hedges absent, the council decided that the parks department’s funds would be better spent on other projects.

“I really think this is a bad deal,” Councilman John C. Cox Jr. said. “It’s a bad investment.”

Instead, the council said it will explore using other sites currently available to the city, including the Boys and Girls Club, for indoor activities.

The city uses the West Newport Community Center and the Abraham Lincoln Elementary School gym as its primary indoor facilities.

Parks commission Chairman Bill Schonlau told the council that the city needs another indoor recreational facility because the gym schedule is booked. With more new families moving to the area and new communities in development, he said the city’s problem will only get worse.

“This is the only way we can meet with certainty the current and future needs of our city,” Schonlau said.