Supervisor shift may not affect Newport Coast

Paul Clinton

NEWPORT COAST -- Just when it looked like Supervisor Tom Wilson was

going to lose Newport Beach, a section of the city could be returned to

him under the new district map set to be approved today.

It isn’t a part of the city yet, but the upscale, unincorporated

community of Newport Coast would be left in Wilson’s district under the

current plan. The city is expected to annex the dotted landscape of

private communities early next year.

Both parties affected by today’s decision by the Board of Supervisors

are anxiously awaiting the result of a decision they’ll have to live with

until the next national census, in 2010, forces another redrawing of the

district lines.

On July 17, the board tentatively approved a new map for Orange County

that would move Newport Beach from Wilson’s 5th District to Jim Silva’s

2nd District.

“They could make minor modifications,” City Manager Homer Bludau said.

“We’re just going to have to wait and see how it plays out.”

Earlier this month, Mayor Gary Adams urged the board to move the coast

community into Silva’s district in a letter to board Chairwoman Cynthia

Coad.

Leaders of the unincorporated community have also embraced the move to

Silva’s district, which also includes Costa Mesa. Jim McGee, the chairman

of the Newport Coast Committee of 2000, said he hopes the board modifies

the current map.

“We are in alignment with the City Council on that issue,” McGee said.

“It does seem like bad government to divide up cities.”

McGee said the community also welcomes the city’s bid to incorporate

their 2,000 or so residents into Newport Beach. In exchange for that

support, the city has agreed not to split up the coast into more than one

council district. The city is divided into seven districts.

During the redistricting process, the Board of Supervisors has pledged

to keep intact as many cities as possible. Under the latest map, only two

cities -- Anaheim and Garden Grove -- will be split, compared with 13

under the current alignment.

The coast’s still unincorporated status could be a stumbling block to

the shift into Silva’s district. The city isn’t expected to annex it

until January. After a series of public hearings on the issue, the

community’s residents must approve the move.

The current map was created by evening out the population of each

district.

Silva could not be reached for comment, but Wilson has said the board

is likely to approve a map based chiefly on evenly distributed population

numbers.

* Paul Clinton covers the environment and John Wayne Airport. He may

be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail ato7

paul.clinton@latimes.comf7 .

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