SOUNDING OFF:

Two and a half years ago, when I wrote a letter to the Daily Pilot opining that the chunk of land above the Newport Beach Central Library would make the perfect location for a new city hall, I had no idea of the size of the hornet’s nest I had just whacked.

I was just affirming a view expressed earlier by a Newport Beach resident who suggested the same site.

To me it seemed like a no-brainer. The existing City Hall is antiquated, overcrowded and ripe for replacement.

The decision had been made to rebuild the City Hall and the contiguous fire station at the same site on the peninsula.

But, at this time in the city’s evolution, moving the seat of municipal government near the center of the city made perfect sense.

The location above the library solved lots of problems — it’s a central location near the hub of commerce, Fashion Island; it’s close to public transportation; the opportunity to provide much-needed shared parking with the library; it provides a chance to save a pile of money on a new city hall, since the city already owns the 12 acres in question — rebuilding on the current site would require costly relocation of the city staff, twice; it removes the municipal government site from a tsunami zone; and, it provides the chance to sell the prime real estate the current City Hall occupies, which looked like a great way to fund the new facility, at least in part.

Well, the environmentalists blew a gasket and launched a campaign to save “their” park, indicating that a city hall on that site would destroy the natural beauty of the area. That was the beginning of the polarization of Newport Beach.

Then America’s Cup hero and local architect Bill Ficker came to the rescue with a terrific plan for a city hall on the site that would intrude minimally in the proposed park area, occupying only about three of the 12 acres.

It seemed like a perfect solution to use the perfect site because it presented an opportunity to build a City Hall for roughly 1/3 the cost of rebuilding on the current site and was environmentally sensitive, including protecting the view shed of homeowners above MacArthur Boulevard.

But, no, that only further agitated the environmentalists, who began looking for alternatives — none of which were better solutions to the problem. I had to chuckle when one writer referred to the alternate site at 500 Newport Center Drive as being “in the armpit of the Irvine Company.”

I do understand the position of those who want to protect the “natural beauty” of the site between MacArthur Boulevard and Avocado Avenue — I really do.

However, the most recent effort for such a park — the site at the corner of Jamboree Road and Pacific Coast Highway — can hardly be called a success.

It’s a destination without a way to reach it. I drive past that location frequently and have yet to see a single person hiking the trails in that park.

The closest public parking is at Fashion Island, which then requires a walk of nearly a mile and the transit of eight traffic lanes at one of the busiest intersections in the city.

The closest residents — those staying in the Senior Living facility — can’t make the hike up the hill.

The site above the library sure does seem to be the perfect location for a new City Hall.

The new facility, when combined with the library and the planned park on the remainder of the 12 acres, would make a wonderful civic center — one in which every resident of Newport Beach could take much pride.

And, with the Civic Center located adjacent to the park, those wishing to commune with nature at that site could simply park in the shared parking and meander through the native plants to their heart’s content — a much safer choice than having to navigate across MacArthur or Avocado to reach the park.

Much rancorous rhetoric on this subject has taken place over the past couple of years.

Allegations of foul play, with campaign signs being uprooted and replaced and misrepresentation of positions have recently permeated our news outlets and almost displaced the rehab homes as the hot topic of discussion.

With the vote on Measure B only days away, it’s time to step back and ask yourselves what is best for all residents of Newport Beach.

If a new city hall is necessary — most believe it is — then why not save a pile of money and build it on land already owned by the city in a much more accessible location near the hub of commerce in a setting that enhances the opportunities to use the remaining park?

It seems to me that everyone wins with the City Hall in the Park.

GEOFF WEST lives in Costa Mesa.