Council Overrules Poll by Arts Group

Newport Beach’s arts commissioners might have the money to poll residents and prospective donors about their willingness to support a proposed arts and education center, but city officials informed them at a meeting Wednesday that only the City Council can approve such a study.

“The commission does not have the ability to contract with [consultants to conduct a study],” said Hallie Strock, the city’s cultural arts coordinator.

Strock added that the commission’s hands will be tied until a council-appointed ad hoc committee on the center concludes its work. No deadline has been set for this to take place, and Councilwoman Norma Glover, who chairs the committee, could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The $12-million project on 3.5 acres of open space behind the city’s central library has pitted arts commissioners against members of Newport Beach’s parks, beaches and recreation commission.

Along with community groups such as Stop Polluting Our Newport, the commission opposes the center on the vacant land. With only a few parcels of open space remaining in the city, center opponents have said that the project would diminish Newport Beach’s green belts even further.

Still, arts commissioners began talking about studying the proposal, with Commissioner Don Gregory saying that an anonymous donor had agreed to put up an undisclosed sum to pay for the study.