Council Set to Vote on Park Purchase
The City Council is set to vote tonight on allocating $150,000 for a park on Newport Boulevard across the street from City Hall.
The idea to turn the 8,500-square-foot parcel into a park was the brainchild of Newport Beach resident Jim Thompson, 56. He recruited a dozen people earlier this year to raise money to buy the land, once the site of a gas station, and convert it to a park.
They raised $160,000 toward the $300,000 asking price and have asked the city to make up the difference. The park would be a scenic entry point to the city’s Balboa Peninsula.
Peggy Ducey, assistant to the city manager, said the city has discovered that the land is contaminated with benzene from the gas station. The purchase would be made only on the condition that the seller agree to be responsible for cleaning the site, she said.
The council meets at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 3300 W. Newport Blvd. Information: (714) 644-3017.
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