Debate growing over Dunes’ size

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- As the $100-million Dunes resort inches closer to a

Planning Commission decision, the debate over the massiveness of the

proposed 370-room project has intensified.

Supporters have dazzled the community with colorful drawings of a cozy

Italian-style resort and computer images showing how the resort will look

when built. But some residents remain suspicious of how the project,

which at its 78-foot peak will come close to the height of the nearby

85-foot Castaways bluff, will affect their views.

The controversial project, which was recently downsized, includes a

full-service hotel with 370 rooms and 75 time-share units. There will

also be 46,000 square feet of conference space, swimming pools, a health

spa and restaurants. The revision has significantly reduced traffic, a

major point of contention.

Despite the cuts in size, however, the resort would still dwarf other

local hotels like the Four Seasons, which has 285 rooms, and the

Marriott, which has 250 rooms. The Hyatt Newporter, with 405 rooms, is

one of the few hotels that comes close to the proposed project.

If approved, the hotel, estimated to bring $1.3 million in annual city

revenue, is scheduled to open within the next three to five years.

The problem is that both the Planning Commission and residents are

wrestling with the question of how the 68-foot hotel (at 10 feet above

sea level) will affect the surrounding community.

Dover Shores resident Bert Ohlig has been bombarding the commission with

pictures of his version of the completed resort. Ohlig’s images -- in

which he’s scanned two-dimensional drawings off the Dunes plans and

placed them into three-dimensional photographs -- show that the proposed

resort is actually taller than the Dunes’ images show.

“The original settlement agreement was for 35 feet with capped noise and

traffic,” Ohlig pointed out. “Now they’re going for twice the height,

occupancy and 20 decibels higher in noise. There are more residents,

traffic -- it’s incomprehensible they would make it bigger since

conditions are much worse.”

However, planning commissioners say Ohlig’s pictures are completely

inaccurate.

“He’s just taken pictures and is approximating with his eye and cutting

and pasting,” Selich said. “I don’t doubt his sincerity and what he’s

trying to do, but unfortunately, he’s taking an amateur approach. It

would be more credible if he got someone to go and do computer modeling.”

In order to help clarify just how tall and big the resort will be, on

Friday proponents began putting up 23 balloons at strategic points on the

Dunes site.

But even here, hotel proponents ran into problems because the winds would

not cooperate.

Community activist Susan Caustin came out in the cold morning hours to

look at the effort and immediately pointed out that they were unreliable.

Blowing in the wind, the 4-foot-diameter balloons appeared lower than

they should, she said.

“It’s not an accurate assessment,” Caustin said. “If there was no wind

whatsoever, it would be accurate, but there’s usually wind. This is a

project that is simply too big for its britches.”

Project Manager Tim Quinn was also a little disappointed by the winds,

but pointed out the balloons, which cost $1,500 a day, were merely to

give people some understanding of the resort’s size.

“We’re just trying to give the Planning Commission some perspective,” he

said.

Still, Ohlig remains suspicious. From his home across the bay at Dover

Shores, he said he could see the balloons rising above the surrounding

area.

Planning commissioners will look at the balloons this weekend to

determine whether they give an accurate picture of the project’s size,

and give their assessment at the next meeting.

FYI

* WHAT: Balloons marking height of proposed resort hotel

* WHEN: From Saturday through Thursday (unless it rains). Early mornings,

when the winds are calm, are the best times to see the balloons.

* WHERE: 1131 Back Bay Drive * CALL: For more information, call (949) 729-DUNE (3863) or visit the Web

site at o7 www.newportdunes.comf7 or o7 NDRHOTEL@aol.comf7 .