Sounding Board -- Philip Arst

In response to the Daily Pilot editorial printed March 25 (“Lexus

stopped at Greenlight in Newport Beach”): About 20,000 car trips a day

have been kept off our city streets. Even more congestion will be

prevented in the future. Greenlight is already doing the job 63% of the

voters wanted.

Greenlight has also saved the city money. The high-rise office

buildings that have been withdrawn rather than face a vote (would have)

cost more in city services over time than their taxes would have

produced, primarily due to the high costs of their traffic congestion.

Recently, the Daily Pilot gave both prime front page and editorial

coverage to the anti-Greenlight statements of one out-of-town Lexus

dealer. He said it was a factor in his decision not to relocate to

Newport Beach, and that was featured as the headline. This extensive

coverage was devoted to the wrong problem. The dealer had never

determined whether an election would even be needed. The real problem --

a lack of city planning -- was not addressed.

We already have six car dealerships in Newport Beach. How many does a

city of 70,000 need? If the city were really in need of a car dealer

location, why did it permit the former Fletcher Jones location to be

converted to another traffic congestion-producing, money-losing office

building. If the city were in such dire need of revenues, why did a

recent City Council permit The Irvine Co. to convert 200,000 square feet

of retail space entitlement to, you guessed it, money-losing office

building entitlements?

The Lexus dealer situation reinforces the need for Greenlight, as it

will make the city plan ahead instead of react on a piecemeal basis to

every development request. As 63% of the voters have said that they want

to preserve the quality of life of our city, that should be the primary

plan.

The facts are that we have the highest per capita city revenues of any

large city in Orange County. Our city’s financial strength is improved by

its high home values that generate huge property taxes, a good portion of

which are returned to the city by the county.

Greenlight supports Newport’s financial strength by helping make it a

better place to live and preserving its unique environment, thereby

gaining city revenues through increased home values and property taxes.

Greenlight is alive and well. It can’t please everybody. It is

pleasing the 63% majority of the voters who value quality of life and

home values over making it convenient to buy a Lexus in Newport Beach as

the Pilot advocates.

* PHILIP ARST is a co-founder of Greenlight.