Newport Beach City Council initiates talks to renovate aging Balboa Yacht Basin
Plans to renovate a roughly 80-year-old marina near Promontory Bay made progress this week when the Newport Beach City Council agreed to formally enter negotiations with a developer selected to take on the project.
The Balboa Yacht Basin at 829 Harbor Island Drive consists of a 172-slip marina, a restaurant called the Galley Cafe, shipyard, marine store, a small park, offices, storage garages and apartment buildings. These were built in the late 1940s and have fallen into disrepair.
“The buildings within the premises have reached the end of their useful life and require substantial investment to continue operating or to renovate,” according to a report from city staff presented to the City Council at its meeting Tuesday night.
During a study session in April, Council received two proposals regarding the future of the Balboa Yacht Basin. Both would have preserved the property’s function as a marina.
One plan presented by Basin Neighborhood Partners, LLC, would have seen the demolition of all structures on the property except for the restaurant and the construction of 10 new single-family homes. The other, put forth by Burnham-Ward Properties, proposed the removal of residential rentals at the marina in addition to the renovation of all of the buildings, expansions to outdoor dining space at the restaurant, an increase in the size and number of office and storage units as well as improvements to a small park at the site, Myrtle Park.
City officials ultimately opted for the latter proposal, and the City Council approved a two-year negotiating agreement with Burnham-Ward Properties. Both parties expect to finalize plans to develop and lease the Balboa Yacht Basin within that time frame.
Negotiations will take into account the concerns of nearby residents, which were voiced at town hall meetings and solicited in a survey. As of Tuesday, 88 people had responded, with comments expressing a desire to limit the height of the renovated buildings and improved safety at the marina and calling for amenities like Wi-Fi, ice machines and a coffee cart at the site. Respondents also sought installation of a sidewalk on Harbor Island Drive.
“Our community along with the beacon bay community will be most impacted by any modifications to the Balboa Yacht Basin,” Will Kenney of the Promontory Bay Community Assn., a group representing 62 local homeowners. “As we stated at the April 9 City Council meeting, our association wants to be involved in what we hope will be a collaborative process with city staff and the selected developer so that the final project, when it is brought to you for review and approval, will be something we can all support.”
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