Council set to annex county island

Stefanie Frith and James Meier

COSTA MESA -- After hearing nearly 30 residents argue for more than

two hours that they would rather join Newport Beach, the City Council

Monday voted 3-2 to annex West Santa Ana Heights.

With councilmen Gary Monahan and Chris Steel dissenting, the Council

voted to begin an annexation process that will, in essence, split Santa

Ana Heights into two pieces, the other which Newport Beach is set to

annex.

The western side that Costa Mesa annexed is squeezed between the Santa

Ana Country Club -- which was approved for annexation in November -- and

the Newport Beach Golf Course.

“I have nothing against Costa Mesa,” resident Edmond Perron said

Monday. “I just like Newport Beach a little better.”

About 96% of the area’s 1,800 residents have signed a petition to join

Newport Beach, said annexation activist Robert Hanley.

“If you insist on doing this, then take eastern Santa Ana [Heights],

too,” Hanley said Monday. “At least then, we’d be an entity.”

The residents said being a part of Costa Mesa would ruin the character

of their neighborhoods. Adding the Newport Beach label, the residents

have argued, could increase property values and strengthen a fight

against a John Wayne Airport expansion.

But Costa Mesa has the right to annex the area because it falls under

the city’s sphere of influence. Meanwhile, the eastern part of Santa Ana

Heights -- lying east of the Newport Beach Golf Course -- is located

within Newport Beach’s sphere of influence.

Since its 1994 bankruptcy, the County of Orange has encouraged cities

to annex unincorporated areas often referred to as “islands.” Costa Mesa

has been working on annexing West Santa Ana Heights and other islands

since 1996.