State agency unveils preliminary plan for Crystal Cove

Paul Clinton

CRYSTAL COVE -- California State Parks brought the future of the

historic district into sharper focus Thursday by releasing a preliminary

proposal for restoring the 46 cottages.

Parks officials, in its “public-use vision,” laid out a project for

Crystal Cove State Park that could include overnight vacation rentals and

a mix of other educational, scientific and artistic uses.

“This will become a framework for more meetings and more workshops and

where we go from here,” agency spokesman Roy Stearns said. “We’re real

eager to circulate this to the stakeholders.”

State Parks developed the proposal out of a series of meetings with

local environmental leaders, dubbed stakeholders, about how to restore

the cottages for public use.

The state evicted the former tenants of the district on July 8, after

a more than 20-year battle since buying the park in 1979 from the Irvine

Co.

With the stakeholders’ attention undoubtedly focused on the nation’s

recent terrorism crisis, proper attention could not be paid to the

proposal.

Laura Davick, the founder of the Alliance to Rescue Crystal Cove, said

she hadn’t had time to review more than just the state’s three-page press

release about the new plan.

“All in all, it looks like it has something for everyone,” Davick

said. “It seems to be very close to what the majority of the people are

talking about.”

In the plan, the state proposes renting out a portion of the cottages

as overnight vacation rentals at rates ranging between $20 and $150 a

night. It is still unclear how many cottages would be set aside for that.

The state also plans to gear uses to docents, beachgoers, teachers and

researchers, youth groups, artist, rangers, interpreters, lifeguards, and

maintenance people.

Almost certain to be built are a docent center, visitor center and

restrooms. The state’s preliminary plan also calls for a museum to honor

the “spirit of place” of the cove and the former residents, who had lived

there since the late 1920s.

The state also hopes to build concessions, such as a beach store,

snack bar and art gallery.

“The purpose is to renovate, preserve and manage the district’s unique

cultural, natural and recreational resources and to make these values

available for the education of all,” Parks Director Rusty Areias said in

the statement. “The vision statement is flexible yet detailed enough to

permit meaningful public dialogue.”

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

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

[email protected] .