Community Commentary -- Phil Arst

What are the proper goals for the proposed update to the city’s

general plan to maintain the quality of life and property values for the

residents of the city?

In a recent “Sounding Board” (“Balance can be found in general plan

update,” May 5), Mayor Tod Ridgeway advocated adoption of a “balanced”

solution for the future of the city. His concept of “balance” was to

propose unspecified developments in two “underdeveloped areas” in the

city. He proposed these developments without a discussion of traffic

impacts and in advance of any feedback from the current citizens

committees trying to determine the wishes of the electorate.

His priorities on this issue appear to be developers first, city

second and residents third. Greenlight puts residents first. Its

supporters’ idea of “balanced growth” is that developments expanding the

present general plan must be measured by their impact on traffic

congestion, facilities to serve the city and financial benefit to the

city.

Additionally, the mayor’s advocacy of development is too broad. Some

developments like hotels or retail operations produce positive revenues

for the city. Schools, hospitals, etc., produce services for the

residents. Such developments, depending on location and full traffic

mitigation, can be considered “beneficial growth.” Other developments,

principally high-rise office buildings, lose money for the city over the

long term and are heavy generators of traffic. They can be considered

“abusive growth.” Growth should be beneficial or we do not need it.

To provide background and context for our position, the Greenlight

movement started in 1999, when the council voted to materially weaken the

major anti-traffic congestion protections of the Traffic Phasing

Ordinance. While ostensibly being changed for legal reasons, it failed to

close newly opened loopholes that opened the door to extensive

developments in the city. Disturbingly, 10 major projects then appeared,

ready to take advantage of the now relaxed traffic congestion rules.

Those actions threatened the delicate balance between traffic,

business and residents’ quality of life. We residents had to resort to

the Greenlight Initiative in response.

Now here are some facts to assist you in judging what is really needed

in the city. By 2010, there will be 66% more internal commercial traffic

than residential traffic, according to estimates of the circulation

element of the current city general plan. Regional traffic (i.e. people

commuting to jobs in Newport or driving through it) will exceed all

city-generated traffic. What is needed is a city program to negotiate

solutions for both regional and city traffic, not just adding more

developments to increase our already overwhelming business traffic.

Newport is one of the most job-rich cities in Orange County. About

one-half of the work force has to drive to office buildings and other job

sites in our city creating a major part of the regional traffic

congestion. City of Irvine data o7 (www.newportgreenlight.comf7 ) shows

that office buildings lose money for cities, principally because of the

high cost of maintaining city streets for their heavy traffic.

Ridgeway acknowledges that land in the areas he has proposed for

development is prohibitively expensive. Prices range up to $1.5 to $2

million per acre. That preordains that the sites must be generally

overdeveloped with high-density buildings that in turn will place a very

heavy traffic burden on our streets.

Any city divided by a bay and bordering on an ocean has unique

geographic and traffic circulation problems. The streets leading to the

airport area are essential to get in and out of the city or to cross the

city. Any talk of more development in the airport area must be

accompanied by traffic plans for Bristol Street, MacArthur Boulevard,

Jamboree Road, Irvine Avenue and connecting streets.

A traffic study by the county of Orange shows that the Corona del Mar

Freeway is already the most congested arterial in the city and will get

even worse despite our efforts to restrict John Wayne airport expansion.

The same analysis is required for his proposed West Newport Area

expansion.

Ridgeway claimed we needed more “developments” to pay for the

maintenance of city services. Many believe that the city budget of

Newport Beach is a municipal embarrassment.

Among the numerous facts leading to residents’ concerns as to whether

they are getting their money’s worth: The city’s per-capita budget is one

of the highest in Orange County and twice that of the average of other

Orange County cities. Newport Beach is close to last in the county in

subcontracting nonessential city services to more efficient commercial

firms. We need to look at ways to reduce controllable city expenditures

to bring them more in line with comparable Orange County cities. This can

and must be done without reducing the current level of city services.

The Greenlight program recognizes that change is inevitable and

supports beneficial growth that provides large community or economic

benefits, and does not drag the city backward into traffic congestion.

The Greenlight process trusts the intelligence of Newport Beach voters

and lets them decide which major projects are beneficial and which are

abusive.

Greenlight is concerned that certain civic leaders, having weakened

our laws protecting us from excessive traffic and frustrated by

Greenlight’s protection of residents quality of life, are engineering a

general plan amendment to broadly expand developer entitlements by

promoting abusive growth in the “underdeveloped areas.”

Furthermore, it appears that their claims of “balance” are being made

without regard for existing or future traffic problems and in advance of

hearing from the citizens and the General Plan Advisory Committee as to

their desires for the city.

Our leaders should be mindful that voters will not approve an updated

general plan that benefits others at their expense.

* Philip Arst is a spokesman for the Greenlight program. Greenlight

can be reached at o7 www.newportgreenlight.comf7 or (949) 721-8227.