Readers Respond

On Dec. 9 there was an article regarding the city taking the Newport Beach tennis club for the new city hall ("City may have to fight to get tennis club"). I oppose this action. Let them enlarge the existing site or build next to the library. Why take a privately owned high-profile site like the tennis club? The voters showed their opinion in the last election. Isn't anyone in City Hall listening? If we allow this, where will it end?

MARTHA UNICKEL

Newport Beach

I have lived in Newport Beach since 1976, and I don't think eminent domain is or ever was meant to be used for this purpose. This is government overstepping its bounds. City Hall should stay where it is — it doesn't have to be some grand thing just because there is the money available. Someone over there, get a grip.

LOUISE BELLISIMO

Corona Del Mar

Installing our city government at the Balboa Bay Club's tennis facility is, by far, one of the most inane, absurd, ridiculous and utterly stupid ideas put before the residents of Newport Beach. Why in the world do we need to put the city hall on a prime piece of privately owned real estate when there are countless other sites more suited to the needs of the city? Let's keep the city out of the affairs of the private sector of our community and have the leaders direct their efforts to serving the community rather than serving themselves.

HARRY ESAYIAN

Newport Beach

The tennis club is not a good location for a city hall. Aside from the fact that the owners are not willing to sell the property to the city and have their own plans for the site that involve increasing the tax base, the threat of using eminent domain is a flash point in communities around the country after the fiasco on the East Coast.

There are many other places for a city hall, and I am not even sure that it might not be more cost effective for the city to lease space in one of our beautiful office buildings. It seems to me that the $40-million figure that gets bantered around would lease a lot of space for many years. The city could then sell the existing City Hall's land and generate more tax dollars. Is the city after prestige or effective use of assets?

PAMELA SPEARS

Newport Beach

No, the tennis club is not a good site for a new city hall. And, no, I'm not a member of the club, nor do I plan on becoming one. I feel that there must be a better location that doesn't effect existing leisure amenities. One of the reasons I live here is for these amenities. This community continues to expand relentlessly. How about rebuilding a larger city hall at the existing site? If the answer is that we can't and that the site won't handle the size of the new facility, then the future city hall is going to be too big. How big does it need to be for a community of 70,000?

CHRIS THOMPSON

Newport Beach

As a 30-year resident of Corona del Mar, I would like to underscore how ridiculous it would be for City Hall to take away one of our top tennis clubs to have a government building. Clearly the site is more appropriate in more commercial areas, such as next to the library.

GENE CLARK

Corona del Mar