ON THE AGENDA

Mariner’s Mile Public Improvement Plans

City Council members will discuss freeing up $483,000 for improvements

along Mariner’s Mile.

The move would speed up a five-year plan to add plants and other

improvements to public property along Mariner’s Mile. So far, $130,000

has been set aside for the 2000-01 fiscal year.

Councilwoman Norma Glover, who represents the district that includes

the strip along East Coast Highway, said getting the money in a lump sum

rather than spread out over several years would serve as an incentive to

come up with a comprehensive plan to enhance the area.

“We’d like to know up front how much money we have to work with,” said

Glover, adding that an improvement plan would come back to council

members for approval.

The money would come out of funds that have not been allocated for the

current fiscal year, said Dennis Danner, the city’s administrative

services director.

What to expect: Council members may either approve the proposed budget

amendment for $483,000 or decide to stick to the five-year plan, which

would give a smaller amount of money to the improvement project over

several years.

Balboa Inn Expansion

Council members will discuss the proposed expansion of the Balboa Inn.

The project includes the construction of a two- and three-story building

with 11 new guest suites, as well as a guest spa area and about 2,000

square feet for shops.

While the city’s planning commissioners approved the project Dec. 7, a

nearby property owner filed an appeal against the decision. In his

letter, James W. Read Jr. said the new hotel would be “too massive” for

the area. Read added that because the hotel’s owners still owed the city

about $50,000 in hotel taxes, they might run out of money to pay for the

expansion and leave the city with a half-finished project.

What to expect: City officials have recommended that council members

uphold the Planning Commission’s decision to approve the project, saying

that an expansion of the existing building would include significant

deviations from the zoning code. In addition, Read’s suggestions would go

against the inn’s historic character. The building is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places.

Committee Appointments

Mayor Gary Adams will announce his appointments for council and

citizens’ ad hoc committees, joint governmental committees and citizens’

advisory committees. The appointments are subject to confirmation by the

other council members.

The committees cover areas including aviation, city-school relations,

economic development, the redistricting of council districts, the general

plan update and affordable housing.

Joint governmental committees include the League of California Cities

and the Orange County Coastal Coalition.

Adams also will announce appointments for advisory committees on

environmental-quality affairs, harbor quality and youth council.

Greenlight Guidelines

Council members will discuss proposed guidelines to put the Greenlight

Initiative to work.

The slow-growth measure requires citywide elections on any general

plan amendment for a project that adds more than 100 peak-hour car trips

or dwelling units, or 40,000 square feet more than the plan allows.

Greenlight encourages council members to adopt certain guidelines to

interpret the initiative.

Council members may define certain terms such as “peak hour trips,”

“floor area” and “dwelling unit.”

Debating a starting date for Greenlight’s “look-back provision” is

also on the agenda. Should council members set a 2000 start date, as

proposed by Greenlight supporters and city officials, less general plan

amendments are expected to trigger a Greenlight elections. A 1990

starting date is expected to force more projects before a citywide vote.

What to expect: Council members will discuss proposals by City Atty.

Bob Burnham and hear public testimony. They could vote on guidelines at

their next meeting, Jan. 23.

FYI

* WHO: The Newport Beach City Council is Mayor Gary Adams, Steve

Bromberg, Norma Glover, John Heffernan, Dennis O’Neil, Gary Proctor, Tod

Ridgeway

* WHEN: 7 tonight. A study session on Greenlight guidelines begins at

4 p.m.

* WHERE: City Hall, 3300 Newport Blvd.