BREAKING NEWS:

Political opposition led Newport Beach and county officials today to abandon plans that would have given the city sole power to decide whether to build a horse trail in Santa Ana Heights.

The main part of the agreement to allow the city to veto future expansion at John Wayne Airport has not been changed.

The Newport Beach City Council signed off on the agreement Oct. 10, but Orange County supervisors this week postponed a vote until next Tuesday.

The pact would have given Newport the authority to decide whether to build or scrap plans for the trail -- power some Santa Ana Heights residents have opposed. Instead county officials must agree to any changes to plans for the area.

Newport also would have gotten $500,000 from the area’s redevelopment funds to build a park on county land at Mesa Drive and Birch Street.

There wasn’t enough support on the board for the park and trail items, so they were taken out, Supervisor Jim Silva said.

“The John Wayne [Airport] portion is what’s more important to us, and we think we have the support a the supervisor levels, so we’re going to go with that,” Newport Beach City Manager Homer Bludau said.