Newport Beach officials review progress on housing goals; local coffee brand moving into library

The Newport Beach City Council received a progress report on efforts to create more housing in the city, approved plans for a home-brewed coffee brand to expand into the library on Avocado Avenue and signed off on a variety of maintenance projects at their meeting Tuesday.

State housing mandate progress

Permits have been issued to build less than 5% of the 4,845 new units of housing Newport Beach is required to zone for by 2029, according to a progress report presented at the City Council’s meeting on Tuesday.

That state-mandated goal was issued by the California Department of Housing and Community Development and based on a nine-year timeline that began in 2021. Projects approved for construction since then should generate a total of 230 new units, according to reports from city staff. As many as 81 were approved just last year.

At least 2,386 of new residences in Newport Beach must be reserved for households earning low or very low-income. A total of 85 units permitted so far are categorized as such.

Low and very low-income are households are those earning less than 80% and 50% of an area’s median wages, respectively. In Newport Beach that roughly equates to less than $127,000 annually for low income households and less than $79,200 for very low-income.

Plans to get significantly more units approved are making their way through the pipeline. City staff identified as many as 11 proposed projects seeking permits. These should generate as many as 2,543 new dwellings. At least 296 would be allocated for low and very low income households.

Kit Coffee to open new location at Newport Beach Library

The City Council approved an agreement with a homegrown coffee brand that will take up residence in a concession stand in the Newport Beach Library, at the civic center.

Kit Coffee has its roots in the Newport Mesa area and currently has two locations at 1617 Westcliff Dr. in Newport Beach and 2010 Main St. in Irvine.

It may be at least a month before their new shop opens, owner Eunice Hwang told the Daily Pilot. Once it does, it will be distinct from the other two, with unique menu items catered more towards patrons on the go.