Setting the record on center

Barbara Venezia

I was appalled to see a copy of the letter that Russell Niewiarowski

wrote to Newport Beach Mayor Steve Bromberg on your editorial page.

It’s bad enough that Niewiarowski didn’t check his facts about the

proposed community center, but don’t you guys check the facts either?

Here’s my reply to Niewiarowski. I hope you print this so the

misinformation can be corrected and your readers can understand the

project and process. The Santa Ana Heights PAC has an informational

Web site that clearly delivers current information to the community

on all our pending projects at https://www.sahpac.com/ sys-tmpl/door/.

If you are going to be against the proposed community center, at

least get your facts straight.

1. The PAC did not pull this idea out of the air. Two years ago

when we asked the community to write in on the web site and at PAC

meetings to suggest projects they would like to see undertaken, a

community center was one of their suggestions, and by the way, was

high on the list. That is why it was acted upon. (The survey was on

the Web site for a year)

2. The first site selected for the community center, the Koll

property, was less money but it did not work because of zoning

issues, parking, and the neighbors surrounding it were not in favor

of it. The CEO real estate division of the county explored the

possibility and even entered into some negotiations with the seller,

but they decided the location was not the right fit.

3. Since the community center was still on the list, a

subcommittee of PAC targeted several other properties; the YMCA made

the most sense because of parking, zoning and neighborhood

acceptability.

4. The YMCA is not mismanaged. They are operating in the black.

The facility is old. They are selling the facility because they were

gifted property by the Segerstrom family and are building another

facility more up to date in Santa Ana and this one is older and needs

major remodeling. Go over there any time and the place is packed even

in its run down condition. Where do you think these folks come from

who go there? They are from Newport, Santa Ana Heights, Corona del

Mar and Costa Mesa.

5. In order to make a better presentation, Rick Dayton, who is a

PAC member and subcommittee member, was kind enough to work with us

and draw up mock plans to show the potential of what the space could

be and did this at on his own time and at his own expense. The

committee made a wish list of what could be included. At no time has

anyone said these were the definite plans for the center. Should the

center go forward, there is a whole process within the county and the

city that would have to be followed and a bidding process as well.

There certainly was no conspiracy between Dayton and PAC Chairman

Roger Summers.

6. No where at any time has the city of Newport Beach asked for

this facility as a way into the city annexation. Just the opposite.

It has taken more than a year to get them to really look at and get

on board with this. We started talking to them about the concept when

we first looked at the Koll property. Only recently have they seen

the merit and been supportive.

7. The interpretative center does not work for the PAC meetings.

We looked into this when it was first completed. It is also not used

much. That is why with the community center across the street we

could cross promote programs to get more folks into that facility.

Had Niewiarowski been coming to PAC meetings and staying for the

issues discussed, he would have heard everything I have stated above.

He comes to the public comments section and leaves, so he has missed

a lot of information, as well as seeing how the neighbors at the PAC

meeting react and are in favor of building the community center. It

is not a health club, as he keeps referring to it. He has obviously

missed the wide scope of the project, which is to have after-school

programs for kids as well as senior programs, plus work out

facilities that the YMCA currently offers, in addition to programs

offered by Newport Beach Parks and Recreation.

I am also very put off at his reference of how dare we spend PAC

money so that all of Newport Beach can benefit from it. Hasn’t he

been petitioning and trying to get his neighborhood, the west side of

Santa Ana Heights, annexed by Newport Beach for more than two years

now? So he wants to be in the city and benefit from the increase in

property value and services, but is not in favor to adding anything

to it that would benefit anyone other than Santa Ana Heights

residents? Wouldn’t he then consider himself a Newport Beach

resident? How about just being a good neighbor? Maybe he wouldn’t use

the facility, but I’m sure lots of families in the area would.

* BARBARA VENEZIA is a resident of Santa Ana Heights and the

secretary for the Santa Ana Heights Political Action Committee.