Dunes scales back plans for resort

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- Dunes project managers have cut back the amount of rooms

and meeting space for their proposed resort in an effort to lower

estimated traffic increases by 25%, a move developers hope will reduce

community opposition.

Hotel proponents are hoping it and other compromises will allow them to

complete the planning process by spring -- well before the impending

Greenlight slow-growth measure has a chance to clamp down on their

project.

“I’m not deluded enough to think we’ll make 100% of the community happy,”

said Robert H. Gleason, Dunes’ chief financial officer.

The revisions include reducing traffic by 1,170 daily car trips, from

4,800 to 3,630 trips; 30 fewer rooms, from 400 to 370; and a

9,000-square-foot decrease in meeting space, from 55,000 to 46,000 square

feet.

At the Feb. 3 meeting, the Planning Commission asked project managers to

consider reducing the height of the resort, relocating it to the other

side of the lagoon and changing its entrance. The group hustled and two

weeks later returned with its revisions.

Despite the changes, Dunes opponent Susan Caustin said she found the

dramatic traffic reduction “a little fishy.” She couldn’t understand how

traffic congestion could be lessened when the current proposal includes

100 more rooms than the original project.

More than 15 years ago, the city approved plans for a 275-room hotel, but

it never materialized because of financial reasons.

The commission agreed to reconsider the project.

It is estimated it would bring $1.3 million in annual city revenue. If

approved, the resort is scheduled to open in three to five years.

Dunes management has also made a number of other changes in hopes of

swaying the opinions of residents in neighboring Bayside Village and

Dover Shores.

Managers have proposed reducing the resort’s height by 6 feet and

increasing the 60 feet of space between Bayside Village and the hotel to

an average of 100 feet. Also, the time-share units that block the view

from Dover Shores could be removed.

The revision also cuts back the number of time-shares. Originally, there

were a total of 200 units -- 100 planned plus an option for 100 more. The

revision has a maximum of 100 units -- 75 planned with an option for 25

more.

While they were able to address many issues, Dunes managers said it would

be impossible to relocate the entrance to Back Bay Drive, or to move the

resort to the other side of the property.

Those options were explored with the previous project, but it was decided

they would disrupt the environment and existing uses.

“We tried [moving the hotel], but there was so much uproar because of

Upper Newport Bay,” said Gleason.

Gleason said relocating the project would force the Dunes back to the

drawing board and would push the planning process so far behind that the

project could potentially fall under the scope of the so-called

Greenlight measure.

The slow-growth initiative, set for the November election, is in response

to the overwhelming traffic concerns of Newport residents. It proposes to

add an additional step to the planning process by giving residents the

final vote on some development proposals.

Many developers fear that residents will vote so much and so often that

they will simply vote against every project. This uncertainty -- in an

already expensive and lengthy process through the Planning Commission and

City Council -- has been enough for several companies such as the Irvine

Co. to withdraw proposals.

Dunes managers are hoping the commission will make a final decision by

March 9 so they can take the project to the City Council by the end of

that month.

“Hopefully it will all be done by April,” Gleason said.

DUNES RESORT PLANS

* PROPOSED

Hotel rooms: 400

Time-share units: 100 with lock-off option for 100 more

Meeting space: 55,000 square feet

Daily traffic trips: 4,800

* REVISED

Hotel rooms: 370

Time-share units: 75 with lock-off option for 25 more

Meeting space: 46,000 square feet

Daily traffic trips: 3,630