Council candidates greener on one side

Deirdre Newman

The Greenlight slow-growth group Friday endorsed two challengers in

the City Council race.

The group announced its support of John Buttolph, who is running

against incumbent Steve Rosansky in West Newport, and Dolores Otting,

who is challenging incumbent John Heffernan in a district that

includes Newport Coast.

“They pledged to listen to the residents and follow the residents’

desires,” Greenlight spokesman Phil Arst said. “And this is vividly

illustrated by their adherence to the visioning poll. In contrast,

the City Council has not followed this poll in promoting more

development. We think the desires of the residents should be heard.”

The visioning poll, a city-sponsored survey gauging voter

attitudes about development, showed residents opposed large

developments by a two-to-one ratio because they feel these projects

will degrade their quality of life.

Otting was thrilled by the endorsement.

“If a project is large enough that it would affect everyone that

lives there for the rest of their lives, and if that means they have

to go to the polls to determine if that’s a good or bad [project], we

have a very intelligent electorate here in Newport Beach, and I’m

glad they get to vote on projects that will affect them for the rest

of their lives,” she said.

Buttolph was out of town and couldn’t be reached for comment. In a

press release, he stated, “I am happy to have Greenlight’s

endorsement, and I will work hard to provide strong leadership for

residents.”

Rosansky said he wasn’t sure how influential Greenlight’s

endorsement of Buttolph would be. He did not seek the group’s

endorsement, he added.

Rosansky said he could remember only one time in his one-year

tenure on the council that Greenlight had supported a project -- the

conversion of the Newport Technology Center to medical office space

when Hoag Hospital was interested in purchasing it. Rosansky worked

as a liaison between Greenlight and the hospital.

“Even though Mr. Buttolph did get their endorsement, I’m sure,

assuming that I win the election in November, that I will be able to

work with them on future projects.”

Out of four candidates Greenlight endorsed in 2002, only one --

Dick Nichols -- made it onto the dais. Before that, Heffernan was the

first council candidate to win an endorsement from Greenlight in

2000. But he has strayed from the core philosophy of Greenlight at

times. He turned down any endorsement from the group this time around

before any was offered, he said in September.

The Greenlight measure, approved by voters in 2000, requires a

citywide vote on any development that allows an increase of more than

100 peak-hour car trips or dwelling units or 40,000 square feet over

the general plan allowance.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers government. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at [email protected].