Balboa condo ban may be reinstated

The Newport Beach Planning Commission is expected to vote Thursday on a resolution that would restore a prohibition on residential condominium development on Balboa Island and Little Balboa Island.

The City Council amended Newport Beach’s zoning code in 1997 to prohibit such development on both islands because it felt condos weren’t consistent with the areas’ lot sizes and historical pattern of development, according to a city staff report.

However, when the zoning code was updated in 2010, the prohibition was inadvertently omitted, the staff report states.

“Reinstating the prohibition on residential condominiums is an appropriate method of maintaining the quality of the neighborhood,” the report states.

Generally, residences on the islands consist of one primary home on a parcel of land and the addition of a small apartment.

The lack of condominiums is seen as “contributing to the unique character of Balboa Island and Little Balboa Island,” according to the report.

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IF YOU GO

What: Newport Beach Planning Commission meeting

When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday

Where: 100 Civic Center Drive