READERS RESPOND

* AT ISSUE: The proposal to expand the Newport Dunes recreational vehicle

park into a hotel resort.

The Newport Dunes hotel is not a project that significantly benefits the

citizens of Newport Beach, other than by creation of tax revenue. As with

several other projects currently or recently under discussion, it places

the issue of quality of life, surroundings and environment squarely up

against the issue of revenues. In recent times, revenues have won. Only

the future will tell how this issue is resolved.

Quality of life: The Dunes resort contends quality of life will be

enhanced for the citizens of Newport Beach by the opportunity to use and

enjoy these resort facilities. It is unlikely that even one resident out

of 1,000 in this city will use the Dunes resort even one time per year.

The burden of the contemplated resort, however, represented by noise,

traffic, lighting problems and impact on the bay will effect thousands of

Newport Beach residents every day of the year.

The Dunes resort presently, and more so with its contemplated expansion,

will be used by visitors and vacationers from other areas coming to this

city to enjoy the facilities offered in the expanded resort. It will

produce revenues for the city, but in my opinion will not enhance the

quality of life of the citizens of Newport Beach.

Traffic: The Dunes proponents contend that their expanded project will

not affect traffic, pointing to the checkout time policy of the

resort.The reference to arrival and departures of guests at check-in and

checkout time only begins to address the traffic issues presented by this

project. It ignores the traffic impact of resort employees, vendors,

service providers, utility providers, outside repair and maintenance

providers and a host of other business providers, who would come to the

resort on a daily basis in connection with its expanded operations.

One only needs to spend a little time at the corner of Bayside Drive and

East Coast Highway to appreciate the obvious effect on traffic of this

project. If you are not sure -- try it.

Last, but not least, [project manager Tim] Quinn asserts that the

business activities of the Dunes resort alone will produce $1.25 million

in net revenue to the city treasury and, in addition, will generate more

than $25 million of revenue to retail businesses, restaurants and

theaters each year. How would anyone expect that much additional business

to be conducted in the city of Newport Beach, while adding “very little”

to the traffic problem? Common sense would suggest it is simply not

possible.Environmental sensitivity: The Dunes resort responds to the

suggestion that this area is environmentally sensitive by rejecting that

concept and pointing to past uses of the area.

The lack of appreciation for what is, in fact, the environmental

sensitivity of the Upper Newport Bay is both surprising and informative.

It is the kind of comment you would expect not to hear stated publicly,

even if they believed it. Views: The issue is not simply blocking “ocean

views.” The issue with this project, in reality, is for the most part,

not about “views.”

On the other hand, if one wants to consider the issue of “views,” the

question is not so much view blockage as it is the effect of the

construction of this very large project in an area that presently

consists largely of tranquil marina and aquatic settings.

Good neighbor: Much has been made of the fact that the Dunes has

historically been a “good neighbor.” I believe they have. I also believe

that the city of Newport Beach and the citizens of Newport Beach have

always had a right to expect them to be a good neighbor. The Dunes resort

has the right to operate an extremely successful resort as it is

presently configured in the heart of the city of Newport Beach and in the

heart of its most environmentally sensitive asset. Being a good neighbor

goes hand in hand with that opportunity, but has nothing to do with the

merits of this proposed expansion.

This proposal also should not be judged by whether the Fourth of July

fireworks show continues or not (which, interestingly, receives comment

every time this project is evaluated).

I admit to enjoying the Fourth of July show, along with undoubtedly

thousands of other residents of this city. That display, however, is as

much a drawing for the thousands of visitors to the Dunes beach and

recreational vehicle park each Fourth of July holiday, as it is to our

local citizens, and, therefore, serves the needs of the Dunes as much as

it provides half an hour of enjoyment for others.

I will not pretend to be a supporter of the expanded resort project. This

effort reminds me largely of a professional athlete attempting to

renegotiate his contract in midseason. The Dunes has an authorization for

a certain amount of expansion, which everyone knew when they went into

this stage of their history, and they should stick with that.

More importantly, however, I believe the evaluation and analysis of this

project should be based upon a careful and responsible evaluation of all

of the facts and not based upon an oversimplified and trivialized

presentation of the issues.

STEVEN E. BRIGGS

Newport Beach

I am calling to comment on Bill Lusk’s letter in the Readers Respond

column this morning (“Readers support Dunes project,” Jan. 11). Lusk says

that the location of the hotel will primarily generate traffic on streets

designed to handle it and not through residential or heavy commercial

areas. I wonder if Lusk knows that we indeed exist. We are Bayside

Village, a prefabricated home village of 250-plus homes. I certainly

would call that residential. Bayside Drive east of East Coast Highway is

the only entrance to our village. I don’t know how long Lusk has been in

Newport Beach but Bayside Village has been here for 30-plus years.

Surely he can’t be so involved in his own special area that he is not

aware of us here. Of course, many people aren’t. We are quiet and

unassuming. We have been talking with Tim Quinn and the Newport Dunes

about the hotel. We are not against the building of the hotel. Just some

of the things that will affect us.

Tim Quinn knows about this, has met with us on several occasions, one of

them being this past Saturday. And understands how we feel and I believe

that in good faith they are trying to mitigate some of the problems and

concerns that we have. Again, we are a residential area. I am sorry you

don’t feel that way.

JOAN LANE

Newport Beach