Hotel Could Replace Mobile Home Park

The race is on to see who will come up with the best plan for the Marina Park Mobile Home Park.

Council members voted Monday to have consultants draw up a proposal for a hotel and restaurant on the site. But council members also said they would allow residents of the park to develop an alternative plan to save the homes.

At issue is how the city can best make money from the 10.71-acre parcel that fronts Newport Harbor between 15th and 19th streets. The fate of the 40-year-old mobile home park has become uncertain as the city undertakes a massive rehabilitation of Balboa Peninsula.

A recent city-sponsored study of the mobile home park land revealed the city could be earning up to $1.38 million annually if a hotel and restaurant were built on the site. The city earns $525,000 annually from rent on the mobile home park.

Two other renters are on the parcel: The American Legion Hall rents its building for $300 a month and the Girl Scouts pays a nominal $1 a year for its center.

During the council meeting Monday, residents said they would accept a 50% increase on their rents, which range from $730 to $1,034.

They also said that their rents have been a steady source of income for the city, unlike some recent hotel and restaurant ventures on the peninsula that have gone out of business.