City may consider buying Dunes

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- At this point, it’s not much more than an interesting

idea.

But after the owners of the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort announced

plans to sell the property last week, city leaders on Tuesday said they’d

like to explore the possibility of taking over the land.

“I find the issue very attractive,” said Councilman Steve Bromberg,

who represents the area that includes the Dunes. He added that he will

ask city officials to look into the matter at Tuesday’s City Council

meeting.

Bromberg said a city takeover could do away with a controversial

proposal for a 470-room hotel and conference center on the site that

faced opposition from community activists.

The hotel would have required a citywide vote under Greenlight, the

city’s new slow-growth law.

Dunes owners said the approval of Greenlight in November played a part

in their decision to sell the resort. But a desire to focus on their

hotels in San Diego was the main reason for the move, they said.

A city takeover of the land “would most surely prevent any significant

development on the property,” Bromberg said. “It would not have a hotel

on it.”

Bromberg said he would want to keep the existing 406-space RV park in

place and not change the resort’s character.

“This is a vacation destination,” he said. But “I think a park

facility could be added to it.”

Despite the idea’s attraction, Bromberg said he’d need a lot more

information before seriously considering a takeover.

“I’d like to know if it’s even feasible,” he said, adding that a bond

measure may be an option to finance a purchase.

A majority of his council colleagues said they would also be

interested in the idea.

“Absolutely. I would be willing to look at it,” Councilwoman Norma

Glover said. “It may -- financially -- never make sense. But I wouldn’t

want to make that decision until I had an opportunity to look at it.”

Glover added that she wanted to explore all options for the land and

not limit herself to just thinking about a park and RV spaces.

Mayor Gary Adams and Councilman Dennis O’Neil agreed that city

officials should gather information on a possible takeover. Councilmen

John Heffernan, Gary Proctor and Tod Ridgeway could not be reached for

comment Tuesday.

Members of the Evans family, who hold a lease on the 100-acre

property, said they’d be open to discussions with city officials.

“We’d be happy to explore the possibility with them,” said Tim Quinn,

whose father-in-law, William Evans, entered a lease for the state-owned

land with Orange County in 1972.

Quinn added that the family had not come up with a price tag for the

remaining 39 years on the lease and was accepting bids at this time.

Opponents of the Dunes hotel project said the city’s interest in

buying the lease was terrific.

“I think that’s a very viable option for the city,” said Susan

Caustin, a member of Stop the Dunes. “I can’t think of a better place to

put a park than in the middle of the city”

She added that she plans to ask members of her group to lobby council

members in support of a takeover.

Allan Beek, a community activist who helped to bring Greenlight to

victory, said he also supported the possible takeover and would campaign

for a bond measure to pay for the lease.

Folks at City Hall said a lot had to be figured out before a takeover

could be considered.

“The big question mark at this point is . . . what it would cost to

pick up the lease,” City Manager Homer Bludau said.

He added that the city also could possibly take over portions of the

site.

Quinn said the property had been merged into one parcel in 1989 but

could potentially be split up again. But he added that he didn’t know

whether his family would consider such a proposal.

-- Mathis Winkler covers Newport Beach. He may be reached at (949)

574-4232 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .

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