Mayor of Newport states top city goals

Uniting the city to build a new City Hall and examining the possibility of buying Banning Ranch are two of the city’s most important priorities this year, said Newport Beach Mayor Ed Selich Friday night at the annual Speak Up Newport Mayor’s Dinner at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel.

“I believe we live in one of the greatest cities in the world,” Selich said. “What we do with it today will affect it for years to come.”

Selich spent a few minutes talking about Measure B, which Newport voters approved earlier this week with about 52% of the vote.

Selich opposed the measure, which requires the next Newport Beach City Hall to be built on a 12.8-acre parcel of city-owned land next to the central library on Avocado Avenue.

Although Selich has disagreed with lead proponent of the measure Bill Ficker’s plans for city hall, the mayor said he hoped to work within the measure requirements to build a new city hall.

With his background in urban planning and architecture, Selich sees the city in terms of land use, parks, traffic and open space. He spent much of his speech talking about shaping how the city will look in the decades to come.

Selich worked for several years for the planning department in Huntington Beach and served three terms as chairman of the Newport Beach Planning Commission.

“I’m a planner at heart,” he said. “We have one of the most beautiful cities in the world.”

Newport will also cultivate plans in the coming year to purchase Banning Ranch, Selich said. The more than 400-acre piece of land along the Santa Ana River and West Coast Highway is one of California’s largest gas and oil producers.

The city must determine whether to purchase the land and preserve it either as open space, or cultivate housing, hotels and shopping in the area, Selich said.

“We win in either scenario,” Selich said.

About 53 acres of Banning Ranch lies within the city limits. Although the remaining 465 acres is in the county’s jurisdiction, Newport Beach maintains a sphere of influence over the area.

The council is expected to establish a committee Tuesday to oversee the appraisal process for Banning Ranch. Selich requested the committee last month.

A DEDICATION

Mayor Ed Selich dedicated his address to his late father, Edward H. Selich, who suffered a heart attack on the eve of last year’s dinner.

“I was hopeful he would be able to recover and attend this year’s dinner. He would have been very proud to be here, and I know he’s here in spirit.”

BRIANNA BAILEY may be reached at (714) 966-4625 or at [email protected].