What to Watch

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Here is a look at stories that we think will continue to

make headlines in 2000, along with an actual headline likely to appear in

the Daily Pilot.

Balboa Theater reopens at last

An important piece of Balboa’s history will come to life in the fall with

the opening of the theater -- at least that’s what proponents are hoping

for.

The Balboa Theater renovation began in 1995 when residents Dayna Pettit

and Ronald Baers became concerned about saving the historic, yet

crumbling, theater. Together, they formed the nonprofit Balboa Performing

Arts Theatre Foundation.

Three years after starting this effort, the city of Newport Beach bought

the building and signed a lease with the foundation for $1 per year for

the next 25 years. Since then, the group has been raising contributions

through a variety of special events.

With the addition of improvements required under the Americans with

Disabilities Act, the cost to repair the building has increased to about

$3 million. Despite the daunting figure, fund-raising efforts received a

substantial boost this fall when local philanthropist Donna Crean wrote a

check for $1 million to the cause.

The foundation has teamed up with architects and presented designs of the

future theater to city officials. They’ve tried to retain as much of the

theater’s original architectural style and charm as possible.

They plan to open the renovated Balboa Theater in the fall with a

three-day gala and festival.

The Greenlight for a fight

Developers, city officials and environmentalists will butt heads now that

the Greenlight Initiative will be on the ballot.

Proponents of the Greenlight Initiative say it will provide voters with

control over development that increases traffic congestion.

The initiative proposes to change the city charter by allowing voters to

approve or disapprove any major projects that require deviations from the

city’s current master growth plan.

Over the last year, supporters have gathered signatures throughout the

city. More than 250 people circulated petitions at markets, libraries and

other places.

They were so successful that they’ve collected 50% more signatures than

needed to qualify the initiative for the ballot. Supporters say this

bodes well for the measure’s passage.

For developers and city officials -- who need to keep an eye on finances

-- the initiative is troublesome. It could strangle the city’s

development and cut off the fees and taxes that provide money for city

services.

Newport, Costa Mesa annexation talks continue

As the county abandons its caretaking of unincorporated areas, Costa Mesa

and Newport Beach will try to absorb these dangling communities starting

next year.

This has caused some controversy, though, because some communities in

Costa Mesa’s sphere of influence have voiced clear opinions that they

want to be united and that they want to be in Newport Beach.

Costa Mesa is in the process of annexing West Santa Ana Heights, the

Santa Ana Country Club, the Back Bay High School neighborhood and the

Heinz Kaiser Neighborhood.

Both residents from West Santa Ana Heights and the Santa Ana Country Club

have announced that they don’t want to be part of Costa Mesa. This has

caused some bitter feelings among certain Costa Mesa City Council

members.

Newport, on the other hand, is planning to annex East Santa Ana Heights,

Bay Knolls and Newport Coast. And while some representatives from Santa

Ana Heights initially were suspicious of Newport’s motivations, after a

vote it became clear that the majority supported the move.

Since then, West Santa Ana Heights residents have organized and submitted

an application to the Local Agency Formation Commission, which oversees

annexations, to become part of Newport Beach.

While the issue is filled with high emotions, officials say the

commission will base its decision on dollars and cents and not on the

whim of community members.

School district to vote tonight on bond measure

As the Newport-Mesa Unified school board reconvenes Jan. 11, members will hear the facilities committee recommendation that a bond measure be

placed on the upcoming ballot to pay for refurbishing schools.

It will then be up to the school board to decide if they want to look to

the community for the money to repair the ravaged schools.

If the board decides to put a school bond on the ballot, it could mean

higher taxes for everyone living in Newport-Mesa. It may also be the only

hope the district has to fix the schools.For the past year, the

Newport-Mesa Unified School District has been researching what needs to

be done to repair its crumbling classrooms.

Over the course of the year the price tag for renovating the

deteriorating schools made several jumps. What began as an estimated

$15-million project ultimately leaped to $163 million.

The facilities committee, a group of local business and civic leaders,

has been exploring several options, including the sale of district

property and applying for state funding.

But after months of racking their brains, members of the committee say

they see no other way to come up with the money.

Council to review hotel proposals

Newport Beach is standing at a crossroads. On the one hand, the recent

five-year financial forecast indicates the city is going to need more

money. On the other, many residents feel further development will

compromise their quality of life.

Next year, the council will review a number of high-end developments that

would bring in tourists with money to spend. For example, the million

dollar proposals at Newport Dunes and the site of the Marinapark mobile

homes.

The Marinapark proposal is for a 156-room resort hotel that would include

limited meeting spaces, two restaurants, a bar, swimming pool and so on.

It has caused a considerable amount of controversy in the city because

the hotel would displace the mobile home park and the American Legion.

While there is no provisions set up for the mobile home residents, the

hotel has proposed to relocate the American Legion for $500,000.

The other project at the Newport Dunes is for a proposed $100-million

hotel and time share. When finished, it would be a 400-room hotel and

100-room time share.

Just as the Marinapark proposal, the Dunes project has also raised a

number of objections among neighboring communities such as the De Anza

Bayside Village residents.

Newport-Mesa residents hit polls on El Toro

History will be made this year as residents vote on an initiative that is

the first of its kind in Orange County -- a measure that will require a

public vote before any proposed airports, jails or landfills can be built

in residential areas.

The Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative, known as Measure F, was

created by South County forces in an attempt to derail the county’s plan

for an international airport at the closed El Toro Marine base.

When county residents vote on it in March, it will be the third time they

have gone to the ballot box on El Toro-related issues. They passed

Measure A in 1994 authorizing the county to build the airport at El Toro

and in 1996 defeated Measure S, which would have stopped the airport

plan.

If Measure F passes, the airport -- along with a proposed jail expansion

and any other projects -- will have to be OKd by two-thirds of the voters

in addition to the board of supervisors.

Watch also for records to be broken in terms of how much private money is

spent on both sides of the fight. North County, particularly Newport

Beach, will do everything in its power to ensure the initiative’s defeat.

And South County residents, who believe their quality of life is on the

line, have also vowed to put up a very tough fight to see that the

initiative passes.

One more prediction: whatever happens, the losing side will end up going

to court.

City moves into new digs

The Pacific Savings Plaza, a Spanish Mission-style building on 19th

Street and Newport Boulevard, has been empty for nearly eight years.

With its red roof and white stucco, it is one of the city’s most unique

and beautiful structures. It is located in a prime, central location.

City Manager Allan Roeder said having the building filled, by anyone,

would bring new life to the downtown area.

Mayor Gary Monahan said the city should look into moving its offices into

the building.

In April, officials from Vanguard University -- which last fall launched

a $33-million capital campaign -- said they were interested in buying the

Civic Center, which also includes the Police Department and City Hall.

The college plans to construct seven new buildings, which it hopes will

accommodate 3,000 students -- twice the number of its 1999 enrollment.

University officials said the Civic Center on 77 Fair Drive would be a

swell spot.

Pacific Savings Plaza, across from Triangle Square, is owned by Los

Angeles businessman Nickolas Shammas.

In April, Shammas was asking for $19 million for the building, which has

been vacant since 1992. Several companies, including a hotel and the surf

wear company, Quiksilver, considered moving into the building in the

1990s. But they didn’t.

Last spring, Mayor Gary Monahan, a fan of the building, asked city staff

to explore Pacific Savings Plaza as the city’s new home. But Councilman

Joe Erickson thought the site might not work. The current City Hall has a

heliport for the Police Department, which would be difficult to relocate

to Pacific Savings Plaza.

Only time will tell who will occupy the long vacant building and when

they’ll move in there.