Survey shows mixed feelings on Newport Coast

June Casagrande

NEWPORT BEACH -- An informal survey of the city’s registered voters

shows mixed feelings about annexing Newport Coast. But the tepid response

hasn’t cooled activist Allan Beek’s belief that the matter should have

been put to all the voters of Newport Beach.

At the end of October, Beek sent mailers to all of Newport Beach’s

registered voters asking whether the city should annex Newport Coast. The

survey, paid for by Beek and other activists, showed 51.8% opposed to

annexation and 48.2% in support. The results are informal and not

validated by any county or city body.

“What’s distressing to me is how this process has flouted the people,”

said Beek, who wouldn’t say how much the mailing cost. “It’s a

complicated issue with lots of questions that have never been laid out

for Newport Beach residents as they would have if there had been a vote.”

For example, he pointed to the issue of a $25-million payment from the

Irvine Ranch Water District to the city as part of the annexation deal.

The city plans to return $18 million of that money back to Newport Coast

residents in the form of tax relief, and the remaining sum is earmarked

for improvements to that community.

Beek also said residents should have more information about building

rights on the land -- especially the question of whether the Irvine Co.

should continue to control rights to build 2,500 homes there.

But many city officials say all these questions are irrelevant.

Annexation of unincorporated areas is determined mainly by the Orange

County Local Agency Formation Commission, according to state law.

“The question is moot -- M-O-O-T,” City Councilman Dennis O’Neil said.

“There’s a process in law for doing this, and that has been followed.”

Beek has argued that the city should hold an advisory vote of the

people, using the results only as a guideline when following legal

channels. To avoid the costs of a special election, Beek had pushed the

idea of putting the question on the Nov. 20 ballot for Measure G -- an

idea city officials flatly denied.

A battle over annexation has been raging among the roughly 7,000

Newport Coast residents as well. Some activists have fought for a vote

among Newport Coast residents on the matter -- a possibility under the

law, which says if more than 25% protest, the matter would go to a vote

among those residents only.

Activists’ attempts to make that happen failed last month when they

fell short of the 25% needed to stop automatic annexation. Earlier this

month, a court challenge by Newport Coast homeowner Phillip Greer was

thrown out and the annexation was certified as official. The city expects

to begin providing services such as police and fire to the area on Jan.

1.

* June Casagrande covers Newport Beach. She may be reached at (949)

574-4232 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .