Newport Beach City Council approves Lido House Hotel’s 15,000-square-foot expansion

The Lido House Hotel project will be taking over the old firehouse property on 32nd Street following a unanimous sweep of approvals from the Newport Beach City Council earlier this week.

R.D. Olson Development sought the council’s blessing Tuesday night for an expansion of the existing hotel property by some 15,000 square feet. That expansion will allow for the addition of five cottages, increased storage space, expanded breakout meeting rooms, a greenhouse room with seating, expansion of three existing hotel rooms and an enclosed area on the rooftop terrace.

In addition to that, developers will be granted the lot adjacent to it — Fire Station No. 2 — as a part of the leased property. The fire house, constructed in 1953, has not been in operation since late June.

The hotel opened in 2018 on the site where Newport Beach City Hall was previously located. It has about 130 rooms and five, two-bedroom townhouse cottages. The expansion is not expected to significantly impact the terms of the existing lease approved by a previous dais in 2014, but hotel operators will be expected to pay an additional $50,000 annually in base rent for the site. The total cost is expected to be roughly $300,000.

The firehouse will be demolished to make way for 28 private valet spaces in addition to 14 public parking spaces on Via Oporto.

Councilman Brad Avery raised concerns about the fencing proposed for the 32nd Street and Newport Boulevard frontages.

Avery asked, on the behalf of residents who reached out to him, if the fence would mirror existing design for the hotel and the height of the fencing would be along 32nd Street. City staff confirmed it would be higher than the fencing on Newport Boulevard.

Developers said the fence would be made of metal, but concealed by a shrub or bush with the intention of creating a “green wall.” Fencing was also a point of discussion during the initial Planning Commission hearing. Some sections of fencing along 32nd Street is expected to be roughly 5 feet high while those closer to the walls will be 3 1/2 feet.

City staff said all additions outside of the existing development will comply with required setbacks and the height of the hotel will remain the same. Staff said the expansions are expected to “retain and enhance the significant public open space area along Newport Boulevard.”

It is unclear when construction is expected to begin, but amendments to the existing lease stipulate that developers will be required to begin building within a year of receiving all entitlements and complete construction within 18 months of receiving building permits.

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