Regent hotel receives repeated rejection from residents...
Regent hotel receives repeated rejection from residents
The city of Newport Beach Planning Department staff, supported by
City Council members, continues to ignore residents’ outspoken and
now angry objections to the proposed Sutherland-Talla Regent hotel on
the Balboa Peninsula.
The latest outcry against the hotel took place at the Oct. 29
meeting in council chambers, which was called by the city to solicit
public input related to the formation of the Notice of Preparation --
a formal document that is mandatory in the bureaucratic process and
must be written before an environmental report.
City staffers properly asked for public input on numerous matters
that needed to be included in the above-mentioned notice, such as
traffic, parking, noise, beach access and other relevant points of
concern.
It turned out that the public input not only brought out numerous
matters that were not included in the preliminary draft of the
notice, but more importantly, revealed public anger against the
proposed hotel plan itself.
And so the saga continues -- namely, city staffers in partnership
with the developers versus the local residents. This latest outcry is
consistent with numerous past sentiments against a hotel.
The solution to this impasse will become available in November
2004, when voters will have an opportunity to elect council members
who will reflect the will of the people.
ADELE AND MEL MANN
Newport Beach
Barking for more than a one-stop retail shop
I would like to float a proposal whose time has come.
How about asking the Segerstrom family to develop the property at
Harbor Boulevard and Mesa Verde Drive East in a way that will benefit
the citizens of the city that has made them very rich. I would like
to propose that they build a recreation facility including a skate
park, bark park, movie complex and library.
We have read in the Pilot for years about the need for development
or upgrades in these areas. I’m sure that other people have desires
and wish lists of their own, and I would love to hear from other
citizens about what would enrich their lives.
We don’t want or need a Kohls, WalMart or any other big box store
on that corner. What we need is somewhere to go to relax, to have fun
or learn something. How many more identical shopping centers do we
need? My wife calls them “we-already-have-that” centers. Please save
me from more Starbucks, nail salons and Subways.
I know there is a need for all of the recreational facilities I
have mentioned, and why not use this opportunity that may never come
around again?
This city is built out. There are no more sites to develop a major
recreation area other than the Westside industrial area or Fairview
Park. I doubt anything will change in either of these two areas in
the near future. With the Mesa Verde property, we have land that is
currently empty, centrally located and historically appropriate for
this type of development.
We have all benefited from the development of South Coast Plaza,
the Performing Arts Center area, Home Ranch and the many other
commercial developments of the Segerstrom “vision.” I don’t think it
is unreasonable to ask for some enrichment for the residents who
support all of these commercial entities.
TOM WINNETT
Costa Mesa
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