Council OKs plans to annex 3 areas

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- The City Council unanimously approved plans Tuesday

night to annex three unincorporated areas -- a move officials have

described as the largest and most complex reorganization in the city’s

history.

Bay Knolls and Santa Ana Heights -- two smaller neighborhoods near

John Wayne Airport -- would give the city more bargaining power in its

effort to keep current flight restrictions in place.

Newport Coast, a wealthy development south of the city, would add tax

dollars to city coffers.

The council’s action allows Newport Beach to file an application for

annexation with the Local Agency Formation Commission, a state-mandated

body that oversees boundary changes to cities and special districts.

Before Newport Beach can expand its borders, residents within the

annexation areas must agree to the adjustment. Should they approve the

plan, they could join the city as early as next March.

“I’m very, very excited about the fact that this annexation is being

initiated, and should be concluded within six to eight months,” said

Councilman Dennis O’Neil. “It’s a win-win situation.”

While residents in the areas close to the airport are believed to

overwhelmingly favor the annexation proposal, Newport Coast residents

have been more hesitant. At Tuesday’s meeting, members of Newport Coast

Committee 2000, who represent the area’s homeowners, said they felt

comfortable in recommending the proposal.

“We believe that residents, once they fully understand the issues,

will support the annexation,” said Jim McGee, president of Newport Coast

Committee 2000.

Taxes and special levies for streets, parks and schools in Newport

Coast currently amount to more than twice that of Newport Beach. After

working on a deal for more than two years, city officials and a group of

Newport Coast residents finally reached a compromise.

The city will pay the area’s residents $18 million over the next 15

years and will set aside an additional $7 million to build a civic

center.

An advisory committee will be created to oversee the infrastructure

buyback and monitor planning for the civic center as well. The panel will

include four members of Newport Coast Committee 2000 and three city

appointees.

If all three areas are annexed, Newport Beach would gain about 5,000

acres and nearly 6,000 residents.

The city currently covers 21,930 acres and has an estimated population

of 72,600.