Hundreds turn out as council looks at Dunes

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- More than 200 residents packed City Hall on Tuesday

hoping to voice their opinions on the embattled Dunes resort as the City

Council prepared to take its first look at the project -- one of the

largest development proposals in the city’s recent history.

By press time, the council had not taken a vote on the project.

Mayor John Noyes announced early in the meeting that there would probably

not be enough time during the meeting to hear public comments.

“Why are we here? We’re not going to get to public comments anyway,” said

environmentalist Nancy Skinner, who opposes the Dunes project. However,

Skinner said she stayed at the meeting because she felt it was important

to maintain a presence during the proceedings.

Although Dunes opponents and supporters turned out in full force, it

appeared unlikely that any would get a chance to speak.

“I’m not worried. I think it’s very positive. It’s good to see the

[approval] process in action,” said Andrew Theodorou, general manager of

the Dunes.

The proposal -- approved by the Planning Commission on April 22 -- is for

a 470-unit hotel and time-share resort. At the time, commissioners

insisted on a number of restrictions because of the resort’s location

near the environmentally sensitive Back Bay.

Even with the commission’s limits, the four-story structure would be one

of the city’s largest hotels, with a 31,000-square-foot conference

center, swimming pools, a health spa and restaurants. The $100-million

project is estimated to bring more than $1.4 million in annual sales tax

to the city.

If approved, the resort is scheduled to open within the next three to

five years.

Environmental activist Susan Caustin is already gearing up to bring a

referendum before voters should the council approve the Dunes. Almost

immediately after the project made it through the Planning Commission,

she and resident Bert Ohlig formed a political action committee opposing

the project.

If the council approves the project at its next meeting, opponents will

have 30 days to collect 4,600 valid signatures to place a referendum on

the November ballot.

Greenlight, a group of community activists proposing a slow-growth

measure, has heavily objected to the Dunes project. The group penned the

Greenlight initiative -- set to go before voters in the November election

-- which proposes to give residents the final say on certain “major”

developments.