Briefly in the news

A proposal to annex Newport Coast cleared a major hurdle Wednesday

when the Local Agency Formation Commission gave its initial stamp of

approval.

Newport Beach Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff said the decision by

the seven-member body leaves the proposal just steps away from becoming a

reality. Kiff said the city must now measure public approval of the

project and comply with several other specifications made by the

commission.

“We are happy to reach this point and look forward to the next couple

of weeks working with Newport Coast residents answering their questions,”

Kiff said.

The city’s annexation efforts have not gone without opposition,

however, as community activist and longtime Newport Beach resident Allan

Beek said last month that he wants a citywide election on the matter.

Among Beek’s concerns are whether the added neighborhoods would

support plans for an airport at the closed El Toro Marine Corps Air

Station and if they would be accessible to grass-roots campaigns, such as

the one he helped orchestrate last year in support of the city’s

slow-growth Greenlight initiative.

City Manager Homer Bludau has said annexing the unincorporated Newport

Coast area makes sense in that children there already attend Newport

Beach schools and residents there use city amenities such as the

libraries and parks.

In September 2000, council members unanimously approved plans to annex

Newport Coast, Santa Ana Heights and Bay Knolls. Annexation of the latter

two areas has been pushed back to mid-2002, but Newport Coast could

become part of the city by Jan. 1.

The city filed its application to annex all three communities in

March.