Jetpack action takes another turn

Water jetpacks won’t be completely banned from Newport Harbor, but they will face new restrictions, the City Council decided Tuesday.

The Newport Beach City Council voted 4 to 2 to allow one jetpack business to operate, though residents would be prohibited from using their own jetpacks.

The move represents another twist in the council’s thinking on the matter. During the April 28 meeting, council members voted to direct staff to draft an ordinance banning all water-propelled devices in the harbor. The city Harbor Commission had studied the activity, including residents’ concerns about safety and noise, and ultimately recommended a ban.

Under the ordinance approved Tuesday, the commercial operator is allowed in the harbor with a year-to-year revocable permit limited to the Turning Basin between Lido Marina Village and Coast Highway.

Water jetpacks are backpack-style devices that use seawater to propel riders into the air while they are tethered to an instructor’s watercraft via a long hose. Jetpack America, the sole operator in Newport Beach, has been in the harbor for four years.

The ordinance allows city staff to work with Jetpack America on setting hours and days of operation and requires that the business carry a level of insurance that is acceptable to city officials.

“I’d like to give it a try for a year,” said Mayor Ed Selich. “Let’s take it to the Turning Basin and see how it works there.”

The council’s decision ends nearly a year of debate between Jetpack America and nearby homeowners who say the operation is too noisy for the otherwise peaceful harbor.

George Farrah has lived in front of Jetpack America’s operation for the past four years. The noise from the operation was such an annoyance that he felt forced to put in thicker windows on his home office so he could work, he said.

“It’s a cross between a vacuum cleaner and sometimes a jackhammer,” Farrah said of the operation. “It’s like having a jet engine overhead 8 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

In June, the City Council agreed to a six-month moratorium on permits for businesses operating water-propelled vessels like jetpacks while the Harbor Commission studied the issue.

“I don’t support an all-out ban on this,” said Councilman Keith Curry. “There are appropriate restrictions that should be placed on [the business].”

Councilman Tony Petros said limiting the jetpacks to the Turning Basin would likely limit noise issues for homeowners.

More than a dozen people shared their experience with Jetpack America on Tuesday night, with the majority speaking in favor of preserving the business in the harbor.

“The noise is debatable,” said Jack Price, who owns a business near Jetpack America’s operation. “My office is just down the way and it’s not overpowering in any way.”

On Tuesday, Mayor Pro Tem Diane Dixon and Councilman Scott Peotter voted against the new law. Councilman Marshall “Duffy” Duffield recused himself because he owns a business in the harbor.