Sunset Ridge Park gets a push

June Casagrande

Transforming a vacant piece of land at Superior Avenue and West Coast

Highway into the long-awaited Sunset Ridge Park is a city priority --

right after developing another park on an empty parcel behind the

main library.

But those priorities could soon change. In its study session on

Tuesday, the City Council ordered the Parks, Beaches and Recreation

Commission to explore the possibility of turning that plan on its

head, making Sunset Ridge Park priority No. 1.

“The west side has very few, if any, active parks for use, and

there’s an unmet demand there that needs to be filled,” said

Councilman Steve Rosansky, whose district includes Sunset Ridge.

An “active park” is one that includes playing fields or playground

equipment.

City Councilman Steve Bromberg, whose district includes the parcel

nicknamed Newport Ridge behind the Avocado Avenue library, said he

supported Rosansky’s idea to swap these two priorities.

“I support the plan to prioritize Sunset Ridge,” Bromberg said.

While there has been a groundswell of support for developing

Sunset Ridge Park as quickly as possible, a park at Newport Ridge

isn’t as much in demand. But developing a park there is one way to

assure that nothing else is built there.

Bromberg, however, wants to find ways to allow Sunset Ridge to

take a front seat while at the same time protecting Newport Ridge

from future development. One way could be to put a deed restriction

on the land, but it’s unclear yet whether that’s legally possible.

The City Council instructed the city attorney on Tuesday to find out.

Newport Beach won the right to obtain the Sunset Ridge Park site

from Caltrans at the 1966 price of $1.3 million after state Sen. Ross

Johnson pushed legislation to allow the reduced-rate purchase in

2001. In 1999, the land was valued at about $4.1 million. About $680,000 has been set aside for the purchase, and City Manager Homer

Bludau said that about $537,000 in fees developers pay for parks

could also become available.

Rosansky said that the city should obtain the rest of the money

and act as quickly as possible to take advantage of the low price.

“Considering everything that’s going on in Sacramento, the park

could be in jeopardy if we don’t act quickly,” Rosansky said.

Officials and community members have not worked out the details of

how the park should be developed. Many have said they would like to

see playing fields there, but others have said that those fields

should not be lighted.

Louise Greeley, a neighbor of the Sunset Ridge site and a longtime

supporter of building the park, said she would like to see “something

for everyone,” including playing fields, tot lots and open space. She

said she was thrilled that work could begin sooner.

“I think it’s important,” Greeley said. “I think we really need to

get it going and start enjoying it.”