Annexation on council’s table

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- City officials describe it as one of the largest and

most complex reorganizations in the city’s history.

If all goes according to plan, Bay Knolls, Newport Coast and Santa Ana

Heights will become part of Newport Beach by March 2001.

On Tuesday, the City Council is expected to set in motion the

application process to annex these areas. Council members will decide

whether to place on the Sept. 26 meeting agenda a resolution which, if

adopted, will enable the city to apply for “reorganization of territory”

with the Local Agency Formation Commission, which oversees the annexation

of unincorporated areas.

Mayor John Noyes said Tuesday’s discussion will give council members,

as well as current and future residents, a chance to take an open look at

the proposal.

“We’re trying to find a fair compromise for everybody,” Noyes said.

“We have to be fair to our citizens in the city now. And once we annex

[Newport Coast,] we want to make sure that they are happy citizens as

well.”

Annexation proposals for Bay Knolls -- a section of the area

encompassed by Santiago Drive and Tustin, Santa Ana and Santa Isabel

avenues -- and Santa Ana Heights have faced little opposition.

Some Bay Knolls residents living in Costa Mesa’s sphere of influence

have expressed interest in joining Newport Beach as well, and people

living in West Santa Ana Heights also would like to come to Newport

Beach. So far, the city has not taken any steps to annex these additional

areas.

But residents of Newport Coast, the upscale development south of the

city, are likely to bargain hard before agreeing to add their land to

Newport Beach.

Shouldering a tax burden more than double the size of homeowners in

the city, Newport Coast residents have discussed ways in which Newport

Beach could take over some of the load for years. The increased taxes pay

for a wide range of infrastructure, including the widening of Coast

Highway, Newport Coast Drive, schools and Irvine Ranch Water District

improvement bonds, among other things.

Newport Coast Committee 2000, which represents residents in the area,

had sought $18 million for infrastructure buybacks from the city over a

period of 10 years. The city is now offering to pay the money over 15

years instead.

“Unfortunately, the adoption of a new -- and different -- resolution

of application is our recognition that we did not reach consensus with

[Newport Coast Committee 2000] on all matters,” Deputy City Manager Dave

Kiff wrote in his staff report.

But Noyes said the city could only make so many concessions before

compromising its other residents.

“Our goal is to get them to be Newport Beach citizens ... but we can’t

take away from other parts of the city. We can’t buy them,” he said.

The resolution that council members are expected to adopt Sept. 26

replaces an earlier version, adopted in October 1999.

The new version retains the Irvine Ranch Water District as the

provider of water services in Newport Coast, adds the coastal portion of

Crystal Cove State Park and makes some minor modifications to the

original boundaries of annexation areas.

If the Local Agency Formation Commission approves the application, the

city will have to hold a public hearing to measure protests against the

annexation.

If less than 25% of residents in the annexation areas protest, the

proposal is successful. Should up to 49% protest, an election in the area

must be scheduled to decide the matter.