THAT’S DEBATABLE:Where, oh where, should city hall be?

With the Balboa Bay Club Racquet Club property off the table, what’s the best site right now for a new city hall?

The city should move forward to select a site on land owned or controlled by the city, since it appears unlikely that we will find a desirable site with a private property owner willing to sell it. In considering sites owned by the city, we should respect historical commitments for parks and other uses. Therefore, the most likely sites at this time are the police headquarters in Newport Center, or the site on Balboa Peninsula. In any event, we should make every effort to finalize a decision no later than June 30.

Councilman Michael Henn

District 1

The best site for city hall has not yet been determined. Although we have studied and ruled out dozens of potential locations, the analysis continues. The current City Hall and the police station property are still under consideration as well as several sites in Newport Center. Among the criteria we are using in assessing potential sites are the following: geographic location, accessibility, cost, availability, view issues and proximity to other city facilities. As chairman of the building committee, I have set a goal of June 30 as the date by which a final decision will be made.

Mayor Steve Rosansky

District 2

We are running out of options, and there is no best site in Newport Center that has been offered to the city. We are still looking at the police and fire facility. The art museum site appears to be too small, and the vacant parcel north of San Miguel between Avocado and MacArthur is also too small.

Councilman Don Webb

District 3

A central locale for city hall enables the city to continue delivering first-rate municipal services and makes a visit to city hall convenient for more residents. The building committee is now evaluating potential sites.

America’s Cup skipper Bill Ficker demonstrated that city hall could be on the Newport Village property with room left over for a passive park. There may be other sites that work as a location for city hall, and I look forward to hearing from the public on their preference for a city hall site. This question from the Pilot is one way to generate public input.

Councilwoman

Leslie Daigle

District 4

After 18 months on the City Council’s building committee, I am convinced more than ever that it should most logically be in Newport Center, the geographical, commercial and business center of our city. It should not be in Newport Center Park, which has been dedicated as a passive park. The building committee is now evaluating a number of alternative sites in Newport Center, such as the Orange County Transportation Authority facility, and hopes to have a site to recommend to the full City Council soon. If all the other alternatives under consideration fail, the existing police facility site has room for a combined city hall and police facility in a multi-story building with a parking structure.

Councilman Ed Selich

District 5

There is a building committee that has made a much more thorough review of the various sites that have been proposed. I’m interested in one that hasn’t received much attention, which is the site bordering MacArthur between San Joaquin Hills and San Miguel roads. It’s a vacant parcel and would tie in with the park and the library.

Councilwoman

Nancy Gardner

District 6

I continue to believe that Newport Center would be the best site for city hall. Either the current police station site, where both facilities can be co-located, or perhaps a reconfiguration of the site near the transit center. Newport Center (other than the park site), represents the community consensus location for a city hall. We should continue to pursue this location until no viable alternatives remain.

Councilman Keith Curry

District 7