Commentary: Why I Support Newport Beach Measure Y
I am in my 20th year of service to Newport Beach. I served 10 years on the Planning Commission and am in my 10th year on the City Council.
During that time, I have strived to maintain the highest level of municipal services and protect and improve the quality of life for all Newport Beach residents.
As a City Council member, I voted to approve Measure Y and place it on the ballot. There is no way I would do so if I did not believe our quality of life would improve and that future traffic growth would be reduced.
It is virtually impossible for the average voter to understand Measure Y unless he or she takes the time to pore through reams of reports and studies. Unfortunately, most residents do not have the time to do so and must defer to those they trust to interpret this information. I am writing to try to present Measure Y in a factual manner.
I am trained as a professional urban planner, and the effects of the proposed Measure Y, which calls for amendments to the general plan, are clear to me. I see significant long-term benefits to Newport Beach residents.
Before I get into Measure Y itself, let me address claims that the ballot language is deceptive. It is not. The ballot statement is the same as that used in 2006 except that the currently proposed numbers are used.
At the risk of oversimplifying Measure Y, I will try to explain it and the benefits to our city:
• First, the plan retains the 2006 general plan policies that place residents first.
• Second, it adds new policies promoting environmental sustainability through means such as energy and water conservation.
• Third, it eliminates any proposed changes in the airport area that would add additional traffic.
• Fourth, the plan takes already-authorized hotel rooms, commercial square feet and residential units from all over the city, but mostly in Newport Coast, and condenses it into Newport Center.
It is the third and fourth items that the opponents of Measure Y are focusing on.
The plan does not increase traffic in the airport area. No residential units or office or commercial square footage are added. One office site is changed to congregate care. Elderly congregate care residents do not drive.
And then we have the Newport Center. The Measure Y opponents claim that the 9,120 trips that would be added to Newport Center will cause all the surrounding streets and Coast Highway, especially through Corona del Mar, to be congested because of the land-use changes. They completely mischaracterize the effect of removing hotel rooms, commercial square feet and residential units from other parts of the city and in Newport Coast and moving it into Newport Center.
The opponents’ basic premise is that Measure Y increases traffic. This is flawed. There will be an increase in traffic even if Measure Y is defeated because of underbuilt or unbuilt properties in the city and growth in the region. Measure Y reduces the growth in future average daily traffic citywide. There will be some slight decreases and some slight increases, but overall the traffic will be reduced and redirected from overcapacity streets.
What are the benefits of Measure Y and why should residents vote for it? Here are my reasons:
• It would reduce future development in Newport Coast, pre-approved by the county and Coastal Commission. The city would have no control over the development, not be able to mitigate it and receive no development-impact fees from it. The measure would preserve the low-intensity character of Newport Coast.
• Future development in Newport Coast would be replaced with a smaller amount of development in Newport Center that the city can regulate, mitigate and obtain development impact fees from. The opponents claim that the Newport Coast development will never be built. Pre-approved development in the coastal zone is valuable, and most assuredly this will be built if Measure Y does not pass.
• The city would receive development fees of $40 million to $50 million or more to mitigate traffic and use for other civic improvements that would increase our quality of life and improve property values.
• Average daily traffic would be reduced through Corona del Mar.
• The additional office and commercial development in Newport Center would be less than 9% of the office and commercial square feet that exists today and would be visually imperceptible. Newport Center has good surrounding arterial roadway systems capable of managing traffic flows.
• Newport Center would be an improved, vibrant part of our city where all can go to shop, dine, be entertained and experience the arts and cultural events, while keeping the rest of the city decidedly residential.
When I look at the benefits of Measure Y, as both a resident and professional urban planner, my conclusion is to support Measure Y.
To me living in a city that is predominantly low-density residential surrounded by a vibrant town center is ideal.
EDWARD SELICH is Newport Beach’s mayor pro-tem.