What to watch

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Here is a look at stories that we think will continue

to make headlines in 2002, along with an actual headline likely to appear

in the Daily Pilot.

Newport piers get a second wind

By mid-April, the Newport and Balboa piers should be almost like new

after having undergone the most drastic renovations in their 60-year life

spans. The $2.7-million rehabilitation project includes new concrete

surfaces, signs, gates and handrails. Electricity, gas, water and phone

lines now visible running down the piers will be concealed. Structural

work, including the concrete resurfacing, will make the piers stronger,

increase the amount of weight they can carry and make them better able to

endure a big storm. The work is expected to add about 20 years to the

life of the piers. But like most major construction work, pier

refurbishment hasn’t been good news for everyone. Newport Pier Seafood

and Bar on the Newport Pier and Ruby’s on the Balboa Pier both have had

to close for about two months while the most extensive work has required

the piers to close. The Balboa Pier is expected to reopen Feb. 22, while

Newport Pier will reopen March 22, though work will continue until about

April.

Park up in the air as voting day arrives

March could be maddening to El Toro airport supporters if Orange

County voters opt for a Great Park. The county will go to the polls on

March 5 for a thumbs-up or thumbs-down vote on the South County plan.

The Orange County Central Park and Nature Preserve Initiative, also

known as Measure W, would rezone the closed El Toro Marine Corps Air

Station so a park in the vein of New York’s Central Park or San Diego’s

Balboa Park could be developed.

A “yes” vote would quash hopes in Newport Beach that the base would

ever see an airport built. It would roll back 1994’s Measure A, which

county voters passed to permit the airport.

Supporters of the Great Park, whose key architect was Irvine Mayor

Larry Agran, say their initiative has widespread support. Recent polls

seem to bear that out, indicating a 67% support level for the plan.

Costa Mesa council seats up for grabs

Campaign season promises to be exciting with a handful of vocal and

involved residents vying for a wide open council seat, while trying to

knock Mayor Linda Dixon off the dais.

Dixon and Councilman Gary Monahan are up for reelection, and while

Dixon will fight to keep her position, Monahan decided to bow out of

politics, leaving a handful of contenders to compete for his seat.

Former council members Heather Somers and Jay Humphreys are looking to

regain their leadership positions, while two Westside men, Joel Faris and

Allan Mansoor, try to break into politics.

Newport Beach eyeing other potential annexations

Newport Coast is, as of today, officially part of Newport Beach.

Portions of Santa Ana Heights and Bay Knolls are waiting to be in Newport

Beach proper as well. But annexations are political beasts that make it

likely more scuffles are in the cards for all three of these areas.

Newport Coast is a seeming sweetheart of the city because of its

projected growth and the long-term property tax benefits the swanky

subdivisions will offer in the long term. For this reason and others,

warring camps have formed, setting the stage for some power struggles

over implementing the annexation. Santa Ana Heights and Bay Knolls, on

the other hand, promise to be money-losers for the city. In the Newport

Coast community, in-demand taxpayers have known they could hold out for a

sweet deal from the city -- ultimately procuring $18 million in tax

relief. Their attitude of not wanting to join any club that would have

them for members, however, doesn’t apply in other unincorporated areas.

Some in Santa Ana Heights are champing at the bit to boast an impressive

Newport Beach address, knowing, too, that their property values will go

up as well. “Annexations are never really peaceful,” Newport Beach

Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff said.

Councilman’s trial falls through

Look for Costa Mesa Councilman Chris Steel’s load to lighten during

his second year on the dais after his felony perjury charges are thrown

out of court.

Steel has been battling allegations that he forged signatures during

the last two City Council elections. The district attorney has accused

the councilman of allowing resident Richard Noack to sign election

nomination papers on behalf of his wife during the 2000 election and of

Steel himself signing for a legally blind woman in 1998.

Steel has consistently pleaded not guilty to the charges and declined

plea bargain offers from the district attorney. He has also poured more

than $40,000 into his defense.

The 60-year-old councilman already won a partial victory last year,

when a Superior Court judge threw out a civil lawsuit brought against

Steel by resident and adversary Michael Szkaradek.

Steel’s lawyer expects the previous ruling to influence the findings

this time. The judge in the civil case found no merit to the charge.

Financial, realistic woes slow Balboa Theater

The stage was set decades ago and still no stage. Made wiser by years

that boosters have been unable to predict when the Balboa Theater will

reopen, Michele Roberge, executive director of the theater’s performing

arts foundation, said: “We’ll open in $4 million; that’s the date we’re

setting.” The theater, built in 1927, closed in 1972. The uphill battle

to transform the historic building into a modern 350-seat proscenium

house makes it a likely newsmaker in 2002. Money is a hurdle: Renovations

are estimated to cost $6.5 million; in the fall, funds were still $4

million short. Logical problems loom as well. There isn’t enough dressing

room space, and the only place to make some is below the water table.

Also, plans to tear out a wall were halted when workers realized that a

neighboring business’ electrical supply was built into the theater wall.

Some still unhappy about boat parade changes

News that the Christmas Boat Parade will change its route and schedule

almost guarantees future fighting. Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce

organizers decided to shorten the parade from seven days to four and to

shorten its route by cutting out a 22-minute leg that contains about 200

homes. It may be good news for the parade participants, who have been

complaining that the parade requires a huge time commitment, but those

200 homeowners are anything but happy. Many have been holding parade

parties at their homes for decades. One was mad enough to allegedly

threaten to boycott boat parade Chairman Brett Hemphill’s business,

prompting Hemphill to resign in disgust. Amid all the furor, chamber

organizers have decided to reconsider. This year, they’ll revisit the

issue with the goal of encouraging boaters to participate.

Newport officials still trying to extend flight caps

As Newport Beach closely eyes a March 5 referendum on a park at the

closed El Toro Marine base, city officials will be working to hammer out

an airport deal closer to home. They will be working to extend limits on

flights at John Wayne Airport that are set to expire at the end of 2005.

A settlement agreement put the restrictions in place in 1985. There

are limits on the number of daily departures and annual passengers. Also,

a limited amount of noise is permitted in surrounding neighborhoods.

City officials have put their own plan on the table that includes

slight increases in the number of the noisiest flights, yearly passengers

and flight gates. But county supervisors have not approved any deal.

Look for supervisors to address the issue in the first half of the new

year.

Four Newport Beach council seats up for grabs

Newport Beach’s new mayor, Tod Ridgway, is due to defend his council

seat this year, along with former mayors Gary Adams and Dennis O’Neil.

Their seats in council Districts 1, 4 and 6, respectively, will be up for

grabs this year if anyone can unseat them. Councilwoman Norma Glover,

however, will step down for good after hitting the ceiling of an

eight-year term limit imposed by the city. Her council District 3 will,

by the end of the year, have a new representative.

City ponders Mormon temple amid complaints

A steeple atop a proposed Mormon temple looms large for next year’s

headlines. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has plans to

build a 17,500-square-foot temple near the church’s existing facility at

the intersection of Bonita Canyon Drive and MacArthur Boulevard. Though

planners have lauded the building as a thing of beauty and a boon to the

neighborhood, some residents have expressed some heated concerns. Most

worries center on a spire that will extend 124 feet into the air, topped

with a gold statue of a trumpeting angel. Neighbors worry the steeple

will dominate their views. Some worry that the building’s lighting will

overwhelm the area’s aesthetics. Church representatives plan to continue

pitching their plans to homeowners associations and other local groups in

hopes of earning an image as an ideal neighbor. But a February Planning

Commission meeting and the subsequent City Council discussions of the

temple are expected to bring the controversy to a head.

Marinapark project pushes forward, nears Greenlight vote

Developer Stephen Sutherland has big dreams for the land where the

American Legion Hall, Marinapark mobile home park and Las Arenas Park now

stand. He envisions a 156-room luxury resort with rooms that average $350

to $400 a night. But the major hurdles to making that happen will take

shape in 2002. The City Council has said it will only support the plans

if members of the American Legion Post 291 agree to the plans. The

developer has offered to build them a new hall on the site. But first,

the legionnaires have asked the city to give them the security of a

long-term lease on the property they’ve occupied since 1949 on a

year-to-year basis. Opponents say that Sutherland’s project doesn’t offer

adequate parking and will take away some public beach access. When and if

the smoke clears on these aspects of the project, a huge uncertainty

still remains in the form of the city’s Greenlight Initiative. Under

Greenlight, voters must go to the polls to decide whether to allow the

project to be built -- a question that could put the brakes on the hotel

for good.

New Dunes owners plan a 275-room hotel

Newport Beach officials were crushed to learn last year that an

opportunity to buy the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort property had

ended: While staffers were working on the details of plans to bid on the

property, Dunes owner Evans Hotels closed the bidding. The city had hoped

to procure the land to stop a hotel from being built there. Ever since

bidding closed on the property estimated at $25 million to $50 million,

there’s been nothing but silence from the Dunes owners and their real

estate broker, Eastdil. Questions of who bid on the land, how much they

bid and what they plan to do with it remain hushed. But it’s likely that

a new owner will be announced this year. And it’s equally probable that

the new owner, whoever it is, will want to take advantage of a

pre-approved option of building a 275-room “family-style inn” on the

property. Evans had plans to build a larger, 470-room hotel there. But

when Greenlight passed, making it likely voters would shoot down the

hotel, Evans put the property’s lease up for sale. The smaller hotel,

however, is permitted according to the original deal on the land.

Triangle Square reinvents itself to stay alive

Necessity is the mother of invention, and Triangle Square will need to

get innovative to keep the struggling center in business.

Last year proved disappointing for management as the center lost two

more tenants, Johnny Rockets and Whole Foods, bringing the number of

vacancies to six.

Look for major changes around the shopping center, such as more

user-friendly parking and large marquee signs to promote tenants. But the

most monumental difference will be on the top level.

Populated now by a few fast-food restaurants and merchants, look for

the upper level to be transformed into a popular nighttime destination

with more restaurants like the Yard House, serving up after-dark fun. The

stage, now in the middle of the defunct food court, will host live bands

and serve as entertainment for what could be a hot late-night spot.

Resident committee encourages changes to Westside

Long ignored by city councils of the past, the future of the Westside

will be addressed this year -- not by council members but by residents

and business owners themselves.

As one of her last acts as mayor, Libby Cowan designed a committee to

address the needs of the city’s Westside.

Representatives from different factions of the largely diverse portion

of the city will work together this year to create a working plan for

their part of town. About 32 members of a council-appointed committee

will confer, debate, reason and compromise as they decide what kind of

redevelopment they want done on the Westside.

Although the final report from the committee is not due until 2003,

look for updates at redevelopment meetings on the group’s progress and

ideas.

Newport Fish Co. neighbors say silence is golden

Silence has ruled in place of the Buzz since neighboring residents

near Lido Marina Village muzzled the once-rowdy night spot attributed

with drawing about 100 police arrest reports and other problems. In

November 2000, the Planning Commission yanked the permit after it ruled

that Buzz managers had violated the terms of the use permit by removing

arcade-type video games from the premises. Arcade-type businesses require

fewer parking spaces than regular restaurants or dance clubs. In July,

the Newport Fish Co. restaurant opened at the vacant Buzz site, making

and drawing little noise. But the story won’t end there. The Newport Fish

Co. restaurant has applied to the city to change its permit to allow

turning its second story from a game room into a dining area -- a

scenario all too familiar to those who live nearby. The Planning

Commission will take its first look at the request early this year.

Business owners request help to abide by water rules

New rules that tell cities how to keep pollutants out of storm drains

are likely to be approved this month. Once they are in place, Newport

Beach and Costa Mesa could find themselves having more than a little

difficulty enforcing them. The rules are part of a permit the Santa Ana

Regional Water Quality Board issues to the county that allows its 34

cities to operate their storm drains. The board last month postponed a

vote on a permit to gives cities more time to consider last-minute

changes to the 90-page document. The final vote on the permit could take

place Jan. 8. The five-year permit, which expired last year, has been

beefed up big time in its latest incarnation. For example, businesses

will no longer be able to hose down the sidewalks in front of their shops

without taking steps to keep the water out of the storm drains. Newport

Beach may offer to help them pay for this costly requirement.

State budget cuts strike Newport-Mesa schools

The school district will be tightening its belt as it prepares to deal

with potential midyear cuts to the education portion of the state budget

in January and even more anticipated cuts in next year’s budget.

Gov. Gray Davis will convene a special session of the Legislature this

month to cut about $850 million in education funding, said Newport-Mesa

Unified Assistant Supt. Mike Fine.

The district is still not sure what areas will be reduced because

Davis has only made preliminary proposals so far.

One cut could be money allocated to districts to combat the energy

crisis, which Newport-Mesa has already budgeted and spent, even though it

hasn’t been received yet, Fine said.

Fine said the maximum the district could lose is $1.3 million. This

would not pose a serious problem as the district postponed some things to

give it more flexibility in dealing with the midyear cuts, Fine added.

But things don’t look quite so rosy for the 2002-03 year.

“What the governor is proposing right now is a fraction of what’s

going to happen next year,” Fine said. “This is the first shoe to drop.

There will be many more to come.’

Leece urges district to drop trustee zones

With four school board members up for reelection, one trustee will

revive an issue that may set off fireworks.

Wendy Leece said she will raise the topic of eliminating trustee

zones. The zones have been in place since the Newport-Mesa district was

unified in 1966.

While there have been previous calls for making the seven zones more

equal in terms of population, Leece says eliminating them altogether

would enable more people to run for election.

“They say trustee zones don’t matter -- we all serve the district. But

if they don’t matter, then why do we have them?” Leece asked.

Ferryman postpones DUI hearings in hopes of reelection

Trustee Jim Ferryman will probably continue to postpone his trial on

drunk driving charges until after November’s school board elections.

Ferryman is up for reelection along with Serene Stokes, Judith Franco and

Wendy Leece.

Residents anticipate quieter Pacific Amphitheatre

As officials continue to map out the future of the Orange County

Fairgrounds, neighboring residents will continue to monitor the planned

changes to the amphitheater.

The Orange County Fairgrounds will continue to develop the master plan

process, outlining changes on the 160-acre property. Despite a long

history of resident opposition to the amphitheater, fairground officials

will move forward with plans to revive the now-empty concert venue, while

scaling back its size and profit margin.

Plans for the outdoor venue call for a sizable reduction -- to 140,000

square feet and 8,500 seats -- and will be designed to host a variety of

entertainment events. It will cater mainly to outdoor performing arts and

will also be used for high school graduation ceremonies.

The new amphitheater will be managed by the fairgrounds and will not

seek to bring in the headlining rock ‘n’ roll acts that angered the

neighbors in the past.

Future of Huscroft House continues to teeter

The Huscroft House will finally get moved from its shabby digs at

TeWinkle Park, only to sit on blocks a little longer at Fairview Park.

Debate surrounding the Huscroft House has lasted for months. Members

of the community have been vocal on both sides of the issue, claiming the

house is a historic treasure or claiming it is a waste of public funds.

Council members voted unanimously to use the designated $200,000 from

the Home Ranch development agreement to move the Craftsman-style house to

Fairview Park but challenged supporters to raise the additional $200,000

to restore it.

The money from the Segerstroms included in the Home Ranch deal would

cover only costs to move the house -- last estimated at $175,000 -- but

would not cover any restoration or maintenance. City officials say

restoration would cost another $200,000.

To prevent further deterioration, the council also voted to spend

$2,000 to cover the house and protect it from bad weather.

Expect the historic house to spend the rest of this year in a new

home, under a new cover but with the same uncertain future.

* Compiled by June Casagrande, Young Chang, Paul Clinton, Lolita

Harper and Deirdre Newman