Residents are taken to new Heights

Noaki Schwartz

SANTA ANA HEIGHTS -- An overwhelming majority of the 150 residents who

attended a community meeting on annexation Tuesday agreed on two things:

they want to be part of Newport Beach and they want to be unified.

Residents leading the meeting encouraged their neighbors to begin

petitioning to be released from Costa Mesa’s sphere of influence, in

order to eventually join the Newport Beach annexation. Otherwise, the

community could potentially be split between Costa Mesa and Newport

Beach, based on how the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission

has outlined where communities would go in the future.”Newport is

stronger in fighting against [John Wayne Airport expansion] than Costa

Mesa,” said Santa Ana Heights resident Julie Hernandez.

Although Costa Mesa City Manager Allan Roeder said two weeks ago that the

city would not be willing to change the sphere of influence lines to

appease residents, at Tuesday’s meeting he said Costa Mesa is not in a

position to annex its portion of Santa Ana Heights.

“Let city council members know what your interests are,” Roeder said.

In the past, Newport Beach also didn’t have enough incentive to annex the

Heights.

But Councilman Tom Thomson said the threat of an expanded John Wayne

Airport in the midst of the El Toro airport debate makes Santa Ana

Heights more appealing.

“There is no great [financial] benefit [for Newport] except to fight the

airport issue,” he said. “If you were part of Newport, we’d have more

juice against the expansion of [John Wayne Airport].” The addition of the

Heights would strengthen the movement for the continued limited use of

the airport, Thomson said.

Deputy City Manager Dave Kiff said another reason for moving on Santa Ana

Heights now is the cost-saving nature of a triple annexation, which would

also include Newport Coast and Bay Knolls. Also, he said, the timing is

right with the city currently experiencing an economic upswing.

Despite their support of annexation, residents at the meeting were

thorough in voicing their concerns, which included whether their

community would have to change its rural nature.

“[Heights residents] are very welcome to join the city of Newport and I

assure them that there is no attempt or intent on part of the city to

change character and quality of life within that community,” said Mayor

Dennis O’Neil, who did not attend the meeting. “It’s important to

understand that Newport is so great because it’s a diversified community

of villages.”

Kiff also tried to assure residents that their property taxes would not

increase as a result of annexation because state laws freeze what

residents pay unless they vote to approve an increase.

The biggest benefit city representatives presented to residents was that

they would gain city council representation.

“The county has already taken two-thirds of our neighborhood and turned

it into businesses,” said resident Kelly Crean, who was in favor of

annexation.

Organizers will begin the process of circulating petitions to be removed

from Costa Mesa’s sphere of influence at Monday’s Newport Beach City

Council meeting. Council members will consider filing an annexation

application at that meeting.