Money crunch affects cottages

Paul Clinton

CRYSTAL COVE -- Because of the state’s budget crunch, restoring the

state park’s 46 cottages and opening them up to the public isn’t expected

to begin until mid- to late 2002, a spokesman said Friday.

“We have been absolutely clear that there was no money on the table,”

said California State Parks spokesman Roy Stearns, “but [Parks Director]

Rusty [Areias] made it clear that this was a priority project and he

would find the money.”

Earlier this year, Gov. Gray Davis ordered all state departments to

cut 15% from their budgets.

The acknowledgment that little money exists in the state budget for

the project came in response to a critique from a local assemblyman that

State Parks officials were not paying enough attention to the financial

aspects of the project.

Assemblyman John Campbell, who represents Newport Beach, on Friday

questioned how the state would raise the $12 million to $20 million

needed to restore the historic, but deteriorating, beachfront dwellings.

“It’s a ‘show me the money’ situation,” Campbell said. “You can’t get

the public’s hopes up and then not be able to start work on the project.”

Campbell has proposed using rental revenue from the mobile home park

at El Morro Beach to help pay for the restoration of the cottages.

Areias has rejected the idea, because it would keep the El Morro

renters on public land.

“We need to stop this process of continuing to set it aside for the

sake of politics,” Stearns said. “It’s time the public had the use of

that land.”

Residents of the cottages were forced out in July so the state could

begin work on leaking septic tanks and put in a sewage system.

A group, the Crystal Cove Community Trust, has sued the state over the

residents’ removal, charging that it was premature and would lead to the

cottages’ deterioration. That lawsuit is set for a hearing later this

month.

Stearns’ and Campbell’s comments came a day after the state held its

third public meeting so far this year on the future of the cove.

Members of the public were invited to act as state planners, marking

on work sheets how many cottages they would like to set aside for

overnight rentals, education, research and other uses.

On Oct. 13, Davis placed a $2.6-billion park bond on the March ballot,

which could net some money for the project.

Campbell voted against the measure when it faced a floor vote in the

Assembly. He said much of the money would be allocated to projects

outside the county.

“Orange County taxpayers will not get $1 back for every $1 spent,”

Campbell said. “It’s a bad deal for the Orange County taxpayer.”

-- Paul Clinton covers the environment and John Wayne Airport. He may

be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail ato7

[email protected] .