One forum on Newport general plan left

June Casagrande

Parks and open space are so important to the city’s future that

issuing bonds could be well worthwhile, four out of five respondents

said during the city’s Visioning Festival on Jan. 12.

But other issues for the city’s future are more hotly disputed.

For example, a mail survey reached a different conclusion than did a

workshop on the question of whether there should be more development

at Newport Center, Fashion Island and the airport area. A majority of

mail respondents said no, while Visioning Festival participants

mostly said yes.

These are just some of the tangible and often tricky issues that

have emerged as part of the city’s “visioning process,” which will

culminate in a final meeting to gather community input on Nov. 16.

“I think that there are several major issues that we haven’t

reached a consensus on so far, despite having so much participation,”

Assistant City Manager Sharon Wood said. “So it will really help the

general plan update itself if we can get more people to share their

feelings and their thinking to guide us.”

Some of the most critical issues for the city continue to be the

most closely contested. For example, a widespread sentiment among

residents that the city’s bluffs and other natural views should be

protected must be balanced against the rights of property owners to

develop their land, members of the city’s General Plan Advisory

Committee have said.

The perpetual tug-of-war between property rights and public

interest also dominates the “mansionization” issue, which has now

been dubbed “the size of houses” issue to be fairer to people on both

sides of the debate. Residents who don’t want to see large houses

overrun the quaintness of older neighborhoods are at odds with people

who have bought Newport Beach lots as sites to build their dream

homes.

Another common theme: tax revenue priorities vs. resident

priorities, as in the conflict over whether the city should have more

hotels.

A telephone survey now underway and the upcoming Nov. 16 summit

are the two final portions of the “visioning” process to gather input

from residents. Then city officials pick up the ball.

Members of the city’s General Plan Update Committee will look at

information from resident input as well as from scientific studies on

issues such as traffic flow and circulation. Their next step will be

to decide which of the eight areas of the city’s general plan are due

for a major overhaul. Those areas are: land use, circulation, noise,

conservation, housing, recreation and open space, conservation and

growth management.

Ultimately, with the help of consultants and city staff, rewritten

portions of the city’s general plan will come before the City Council

for approval -- possibly in about a year.