Bayside endorses Dunes project

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- The Bayside Village Homeowner’s Assn. has given its

“tacit” support of the $100-million Dunes resort project, the group’s

president Jo Smallwood said.

“We do feel they have made some great efforts to address our concerns,”

she said. The residents were mostly worried about an increase in traffic

on Bayside Drive and noise from the proposed resort.

In a signed agreement to the Planning Commission -- which is still

reviewing the project’s environmental report -- association leaders

“extended a vote of confidence to the project developers of the Dunes.”

This is good news for proponents of the new resort hotel, who have

endured countless community meetings for more than a year and a half in

an attempt to gain their neighbors’ support.

The Dunes project proposes a 400-room, 100-unit time-share resort with

55,000 square feet of conference space. It is estimated that the hotel

would generate $1.3 million a year to the city. If approved, the resort

would be built within the next five years.

The compromise between the parties was twofold. The first is the

construction of a gatehouse on Bayside Drive in front of the existing

entrance to the community, which currently has no stop sign or traffic

signal. The idea is that as vehicles entering the hotel stop at the

gatehouse, it will be easier for motorists and pedestrians to cross

Bayside Drive. The gatehouse would be monitored 24 hours a day by Dunes

staff.

The other revision would be to move the proposed sound wall -- planned to

be erected between the new resort and the mobile home community -- back

30 feet toward the Dunes. Project proponents also suggested adding a

15-foot landscaped buffer and pushing back some of the proposed buildings

five to 15 feet. It is hoped this will enhance Bayside Village’s privacy.

“I’m sure we’ll still have some unhappy residents, but I think we’ve met

the concerns of the majority,” said Tim Quinn, Dunes project manager.

However, there are still many residents in other parts of the city that

have voiced concerns about the proposed resort, particularly traffic

issues.

Quinn said project proponents are researching alternatives in hope of

solving Dover Shores residents’ concerns about noise and views.