West Santa Ana Heights group blasts Wilson

Noaki Schwartz

SANTA ANA HEIGHTS -- A committee promoting Newport Beach’s annexation of

west Santa Ana Heights is disappointed in what it sees as a lack of

support from Orange County Supervisor Tom Wilson.

“There has been no formal commitment on his part. I assume that he’s not

supporting us,” said committee member Russell Niewiarowski.

The Newport Beach City Council last month decided to begin the process of

annexing Santa Ana Heights, Newport Coast and Bay Knolls. However,

because the Heights’ sphere of influence is divided between Costa Mesa

and Newport Beach, the community could potentially be split.

The west side of Santa Ana Heights, which lies in Costa Mesa’s sphere of

influence, organized and submitted a proposal to the Local Agency

Formation Commission to be placed in Newport’s sphere. The commission is

the state-appointed body that determines where community lines are drawn,

including annexations.

While Wilson’s assistant, Chip Monaco, said the supervisor is riding the

fence on this issue, it’s not because he doesn’t support the Heights’

wishes. Rather, it’s because the final decision is up to the Local Agency

Formation Commission.

“We met with [the West Santa Ana Heights for Newport Beach committee]

earlier this week,” Monaco said. “We stated that Supervisor Wilson

supported the annexation and respects that they’ve been such a tightknit

community for so long.”

In a letter to the Daily Pilot, Niewiarowski wrote that he believes

Wilson’s stance is a result of Niewiarowski’s involvement with the New

Millennium Group, which supports building a new airport at the former El

Toro Marine base.

Both Newport Beach officials and Heights residents have openly said the

annexation would create a stronger voice in the fight for the limited use

of John Wayne Airport. And Wilson is one of two supervisors on the county

board opposed to an airport at El Toro.

“If Wilson truly cared about our quality of life as much as his and his

South County neighbors, he would want to have John Wayne Airport shut

down, along with every commercial airport in Southern California, to

ensure everyone’s quality of life is protected,” Niewiarowski wrote.

This issue also has struck a nerve among some at Costa Mesa City Hall,

who believe that residents should not be able to arbitrarily decide which

city they want to join. In making the decision, the commission will place

considerable weight on finances as well as the level of city services,

said Costa Mesa City Manager Allan Roeder.

Like Wilson, Newport Beach city staff members also have not taken a

position on west Santa Ana Heights’ proposal, although they did outline

what the residents need to do in order to change their sphere of

influence.