Newport Center the first Greenlight casualty?

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- Ballots for this fall’s slow-growth measure are not even

printed yet and already it’s affecting the city’s menu of developments.

On Thursday, the county’s largest developer, the Irvine Co., canceled its

plans to expand Newport Center.

Executive Vice President Gary H. Hunt, in a Jan. 27 letter written to the

City Council, wrote that the measure added too much uncertainty to an

already time-consuming and expensive city planning process.

“[The Irvine Co.] has already spent several hundred thousand dollars on

the planning process. If we were to continue, we’d have to double what we

had invested,” said spokesman Paul Kranhold, adding that after paying for

an environmental report and traffic analysis, risking a potential

citywide election was too uncertain.

Phil Arst, spokesperson for Greenlight -- the group of community

activists who drafted the measure -- was caught off-guard by the action

and had no immediate comment.

The Protect From Traffic and Density Initiative proposes to allow

residents to vote on developments that would require a “major” general

plan amendment. “Major” is defined as creating more than 100 peak-hour

car trips, more than 100 homes or more than 40,000 square feet of floor

area over what the city’s general plan allows.

These thresholds do not apply to the city a whole, but to each of the 49

distinct neighborhoods, which all have a different history of general

plan amendments. As a result, once any of the thresholds are maxed out in

any of these areas, virtually any development would require a vote.

The withdrawal of the Irvine Co.’s proposal echoes the concerns some

council members have regarding the measure -- that it might scare away

potential developers and reduce Newport’s choices. The environmental

studies alone can cost anywhere from $50,000 to $350,000, said Planning

Director Patricia Temple.

The proposal for Newport Center began two years ago and included three

other property owners besides the Irvine Co.

The plan was to build two six-story buildings, remodel parts of Fashion

Island and construct a 150-unit apartment complex, as well as a

child-care and adult center on Avocado Avenue. The project was lumped

together and would have required one general plan amendment.

“There is a doomsday scenario here: make developing so difficult that no

one wants to build,” said Mayor John Noyes. “I’m more supportive of

retail development and hotels.”

Noyes added the Irvine Co. probably made a head count and realized it

would have trouble garnering support for the project.

But Planning Commissioner Ed Selich had a different opinion. He believes

the Irvine Co. just wanted to get out of Greenlight’s firing range.

“It’s just common sense,” Selich said. “The Greenlight initiative is slow

growth and the Irvine Co. is a major developer in Newport proposing a

major development. What is going to be the lightning rod the Greenlight

folks are going to strike on?”

PROJECT: Newport Center Expansion

WHAT: In block 800 -- 440,000 square feet of floor area

In block 500 -- 400,000 square feet of space

In Corporate Plaza West -- 101,000 square feet of space

In block 600 -- 150 residential units

In Fashion Island -- 200,000 square feet of new retail space

APPLICATION DATE: February 1999